Russell Brand questions Ofcom mandate

Russell Brand has questioned the mandate of Ofcom after the BBC was fined £150,000 following his and Jonathan Ross's lewd phone call to Andrew Sachs.

The broadcaster queried the power of the communications regulator on his Twitter page and speculated as to what the organisation does with the money it receives.

Brand said: "What do 'Ofcom' do with all that money? What is their mandate? I think they spend it all on porn. As head of 'Ofporn' I fine them £150,000."

In response to comments from ministers that he and Ross should pay the fine themselves, Brand added: "I demand Jack Straw pays the 7bn pounds he squandered on the Iraq war that we didn't want. No wonder his son has to toke himself to sleep.

"Shamed MPs are exploiting us and misusing their expense accounts. They want us to be distracted from this. I'm going to write about it now."