Question Time man who left Brand speechless? A Ukip MEP's brother

Remember this man from Thursday night's Question Time who left Russell Brand briefly lost for words?

Well the audience member who accused the comedian of "preaching" and urged him to stand for Parliament has been revealed as the brother of a Ukip MEP.

Robert Carver's Facebook page reveals him to be the brother of James Carver, Ukip MEP for the West Midlands.

He told Brand on Thursday's Question Time, filmed in Canterbury, Kent: "If you're going to campaign then stand, OK? You have the media profile for it."

But Brand, who has campaigned on something of an anti-politics ticket recently while promoting his new book Revolution, said he was "scared I'd become one of them".

James Carver said his brother was "not that political", before adding: "I don't even know he votes Ukip."

But that's despite a pro-Ukip blog post written by Robert Carver in which he was identified as a potential candidate at the next general election, while he also wrote this lengthy comment on Ukip's Facebook page in June.

Speaking to the BBC, Robert Carver said he had not told his brother he would be appearing on Question Time and had never voted Ukip.

"I wasn't there with anyone else's agenda," he said.

"I relished the opportunity to engage with Russell and I don't understand why a campaigner would not take the opportunity to stand for a place in the mother of all parliaments. I want him to put his money where his mouth is."

He added: "It is about engaging with people. I want people to vote, I don't care what their politics are. I just want them to vote."

The BBC said the programme's audiences were selected "in accordance with the BBC's guidelines on fairness and impartiality".

It said the production company which makes the show was "extremely careful to select audiences which reflect a broad political balance".

More: [Russell Brand calls Nigel Farage a pound shop Enoch Powell]5