In a surprise political gamble, with one week left until the election Ed Miliband took an evening off campaigning to speak to comedian and self-styled revolutionary Russell Brand.

In a 30-minute interview at Brand’s £2m home in Shoreditch, East London, Miliband spoke about the need to “deal with” large companies who dodge tax.

Brand has previously dismissed the election as “irrelevant” and urged his followers not to vote.

In January, shadow chancellor Ed Balls dismissed Brand as a “pound shop Ben Elton”, in reference to a left-wing comedian who was popular in the 1980s.