General election 2017: Who are the celebrities supporting?
If there are any 'shy Tory' pop stars or sports personalities out there, they're keeping very quiet
With less than a week to go until the general election, it seems that celebrities have been unusually silent on the endorsement front.
As Sky News asks, where are "Joey Essex's selfie sessions with Nick Clegg? Or Simon Cowell praising the Tories?" Still, a smattering of British stars have come out to endorse their party of choice – and that seems to be almost exclusively Labour.
It's no surprise in some ways – showbiz has historically tilted to the left – but the support of Labour-leaning celebrities could make a difference given how much Jeremy Corbyn needs young voters to turn up at the polls. The New York Times has published a story headlined "Why British Hip-Hop Just Might Save the Labour Party" in response to leading grime artists telling their millions of followers to register to vote – and, in virtually all cases, supporting Corbyn. One new website, grime4corbyn.com, has promised free tickets to a secret grime show for anyone registering to vote.
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Any Conservative-leaning celebrities, meanwhile, have kept an extremely low profile, perhaps in keeping with the "shy Tory" phenomenon which has often thrown pollsters. They've been quieter than in 2015 when several big names threw their weight behind the blue party.
Here's a rundown of who's supporting who:
Russell Brand
Back in 2015 the comedian attracted ire for saying there was no point in voting. He's since had a change of heart. Writing in the Huffington Post, he said: "You know I never actually said 'don't vote'? I said: 'There's no point in voting when the main political parties are basically indistinguishable.'" He goes on to throw his weight behind the Labour leader, saying "Jeremy Corbyn has somehow been in politics for decades with his integrity perfectly preserved, like his much derided beard has functioned as hairy formaldehyde for his principles."
Stormzy
"My man, Jeremy! Young Jeremy, my guy. I dig what he says," British grime's leading light told The Guardian last year. "I saw some sick picture of him from back in the day when he was campaigning about anti-apartheid and I thought: yeah, I like your energy." Since then other grime artists including Professor Green, JME and Akala have come out in support.
Ronnie O'Sullivan
The snooker player tweeted he had joined the Labour Party.
"Let's hope for Corbyn's sake that O'Sullivan's endorsement lends him more luck than it did Ed Miliband back in 2015," The Spectator says.
Eddie Izzard
The comedian has once again been banging the drum for Labour, turning up on the campaign trail to show support.
John Cleese
The funnyman tweeted last month that he supported the Lib Dems and Labour.
That said, he also tweeted, "People are asking me how I shall vote. I shan't. I live in Chelsea and Kensington, so under our present system my vote is utterly worthless."
Lily Allen
The pop star the Daily Mail loves to hate is supporting Labour, obviously. She even retweeted this image of another starry supporter – Danny DeVito.
Brian May
Queen's legendary guitarist has been on the attack, posting a series of anti-Tory tweets.
Rob Delaney
The Catastrophe actor and Twitter comedian has pledged his support to Labour.
Kate Bush
While she hasn't said anything about the snap election, Bush told the Canadian publication Macleans last year that she thought Theresa May was "wonderful" and a "very intelligent woman".
Gary Barlow
Barlow campaigned for the Tories back in 2010. In the last election, then-shadow chancellor Ed Balls berated the Conservatives for wheeling him out. "The idea that someone who doesn't pay any tax in Britain should be telling British people how to vote will stick in the craw," he said. As The Guardian drily noted at the time, "the idea that he could be their secret weapon for a second time is a genuinely terrifying one".
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