Ukip leader Nigel Farage has fired the first shot before his Question Time scrap with Russell Brand tonight, claiming the comedian is “good at dishing it out, but not at taking it back.”

David Dimbleby will chair the debate between the firebrands at the city’s Gulbenkian Theatre, which will be broadcast on BBC1.

Mr Farage, who is contesting the South Thanet constituency, which covers rural areas of the Canterbury district, admits he is relishing the prospect of trading blows with Mr Brand.

He told KentOnline this week: “I’ve no idea how it will turn out. What I do know is that Brand is good at dishing it out, but not good at taking it back.

“I’m not even sure how many people find Russell Brand’s philosophy appealing. Yes, he’s got a huge social network following and is obviously a successful entertainer who has done some brilliant work.

“But I’m not sure you can just transform that easily into politics.”

For the past few years, Mr Brand has been preaching a radical philosophy which promotes the overthrow of the establishment, the destruction of big business and their replacement with small, democratic units of people.

His recently-published book, Revolution, outlines his philosophy. It was described by critics as “the worst book ever written”.

He most recently hit the headlines when he was challenged by a Channel 4 reporter during an anti-poverty parade about how much his London home is worth.

A visibly flustered Mr Brand called the reporter “a snide” who was undermining his efforts.

Appearing alongside Mr Brand and Mr Farage are Labour’s Mary Creagh, the shadow minister for international development and Camilla Cavendish, an Oxford-educated writer for The Times.

Also on the show is Tory MP Penny Mordant who has appeared on reality TV diving show Splash and earlier this year admitted saying “cock” or “laid” repeatedly during a 2013 Parliamentary debate as part of a forfeit for a dining misdemeanour on a navy training course.

Filming will take place in the evening before the show is edited and then broadcast at 10.35pm.

Mr Farage is still basking in Ukip’s by-elections wins at Clacton, in October, and Rochester and Strood, last month.

But a “snapshot poll” by Tory pollster Lord Ashcroft earlier this month had Mr Farage trailing Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay by 5% in South Thanet.

Asked whether he thought he could win the constituency, he said: “Look, I don’t make silly predictions. The last few months I have obviously been greatly diverted by the Clacton, Heywood and Middleton and Rochester and Strood by-elections.

“We have been campaigning properly for South Thanet – just as we have been doing for the upcoming Thanet District Council elections.”

The local and general elections take place on May 7.

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