Andrew Brown (media strategist)

Andrew Mavor Brown (born 3 May 1956) is a Scottish former journalist and broadcaster who is now a media strategist with EDF Energy.

Early life and career

Brown studied journalism at Edinburgh University, edited the student newspaper,[1] and was President of the Edinburgh University Students' Association.[2] He began working for BBC Scotland as a news reporter in 1977, before moving to London to work for his brother Gordon Brown, the future prime minister, as a research assistant in 1983.[1] In 1987 he joined the BBC's Newsnight programme as an assistant producer.[3] In 1989 he joined Channel 4 News, becoming a programme editor in 1994.[3] In 1996 he joined ITN, becoming the editor of Powerhouse, one of its political programmes.[3]

In 2003 Brown left the news industry and joined PR company Weber Shandwick as director of media strategy.[2][3][4] In 2004 he joined French energy firm EDF Energy, as head of media relations, where as of 2011 he held the position of director of corporate communications.[3][5]

Personal life

Brown has two elder brothers, John and Gordon.[3]

He is married to Clare Rewcastle Brown.[3]

In 2009 Andrew Brown and his wife were associated with a financial scandal, when former Prime Minister Gordon Brown came under scrutiny for using taxpayers' money to pay his own family to manage his housekeeping. Andrew Brown and his wife were the recipients of this money.[6] However, Clare publicly defended the arrangement, saying the claims were groundless, and calling the negative publicity her husband received "pretty damn unfair."[7] [NB These two references are clearly black propaganda from Sarawak Reports, an intentionally misleading name imitating Clare Rewcastle Brown's Sarawak Report blog.] The Telegraph, the newspaper which ran the story, later acknowledged that Andrew never received any improper benefit.[8]

Nuclear lobbying

The role of Brown has been discussed[9][10] by the media in the context of the energy policy[11] of the 1997-2010 Labour government[12] and in particular the lobbying of Labour's later administrations by the nuclear industry.

MPs' expenses libel case

An article[13] published in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper in May 2009 accused Brown of benefiting from expenses claims made by Gordon Brown. The claim led to libel proceedings being brought by Brown against the paper, with the paper subsequently admitting that the claim had been "entirely false".[13]

References
  1. "Shining from the sidelines - Andrew Brown, head of media relations, EDF Energy". PRWeek. 12 November 2004. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  2. "WS adds Chancellor's brother to media unit". PRWeek. 6 June 2003. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  3. Christopher Hope (8 May 2009). "Who is Andrew Brown? Profile of Gordon Brown's brother". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  4. "Gordon Brown's brother quits ITN for job in PR". Press Gazette. 12 June 2003. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  5. Christine Buckley (2 August 2008). "Business big shot: Andrew Brown". The Times. London. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  6. "Beware of Strange Bedfellows: The Curious Case of Gordon Brown, his Sister-in-Law, and the Rainforests of Exotic Borneo". Sarawak Reports. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  7. "The Naiveté of Clare Rewcastle Brown". Sarawak Reports. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  8. "Andrew Brown: MPs' Expenses". The Daily Telegraph. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  9. MacAlister, Terry (11 July 2006). "The powerful business of promoting a nuclear future". The Guardian. London.
  10. "Labour and the nuclear lobby". BBC News. 23 May 2007.
  11. Nuclear power in the United Kingdom#Policy of the Labour Government
  12. Labour Party (UK)#"New Labour" - in government (1997-2010)
  13. http://news.stv.tv/scotland/101426-gordon-browns-brother-wins-judgement-over-newspaper-claim/
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