Its great to have family connections!

Gordon Brown's younger brother Andrew Brown 

PR and lobbying

EDF is playing a key role in pushing for new nuclear power stations in the UK.

Private Eye (issue 1151, p8) reported in February 2006 that Chancellor Gordon Brown's younger brother Andrew Brown is EDF Energy's Head of Press. Brown junior previously worked for the lobbying company Weber Shandwick (whose former UK chief executive Philip Dewhurst, is now Director of Group Corporate Affairs at BNFL). ^[8] [9]

Friday, January 11, 2008
The silence on Andrew Brown explained?
at 1/11/2008 11:21:00 AM
It's been making me wonder over the past few days why there has been absolutely no comment from anyone in the Conservative Party about the fact that Gordon brown's brother is Head of Corporate Communications at EDF Energy. According to an internal memo sent around EDF his primary role is to "lead the communications agenda in the nuclear project" as well.

The potential for raising the possibility of sleaze, however tenuous it might be is there. This is especially the case when you add in the nuclear and energy lobbying link of Labour donors like Sovereign Strategy and Weber Shadwick. On top of which you have a former Labour Chairman (Iain McCartney) being a paid advisor to a nuclear specialist.

Then this morning I think I discovered why there is so much silence about the pontentially smelly EDF links to Downing Street. Between 2003 and 2005 EDF Energy, 70% owned by the French state, donated a total of £43,000 to the Conservatives and Labour. £31,000 and £12,000 respectively. Hardly going to big up connections if the quick answer is "you're connected too aren't you!"

Gordon Brown

Table of contents [hide]

1 Background 2 Following in Tony's Nuclear Footsteps 3 Keep It In The Family, Gordon 4 Articles

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Background

Britain's "Prime Minister-Elect," who has been Britain's Chancellor since 1997.

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Following in Tony's Nuclear Footsteps

In May 2007, before the Labour government's second consultation on nuclear power, The Observer reported how Gordon Brown had already made up his mind over nuclear. "The Prime Minister-elect will give the green light to the plans that will show that he is backing Tony Blair's support of the nuclear industry", reported the paper. "The Chancellor will signal his support this week for a dramatic renewal of the nuclear power programme that will see the building of up to eight new stations, possibly within 15 years." ^[1]

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Keep It In The Family, Gordon

What makes this decision politically sensitive, is that Gordon Brown has close family connections to the nuclear industry. His younger brother Andrew Brown works for EDF Energy, the UK subsidiary of EDF, which operates nuclear power stations in France, and which is one of the leading companies pushing for a nuclear rebuild programme in the UK. Andrew Brown was appointed as EDF Energy's Head of Press on 13 September 2004. Previously, he worked for the lobbying company Weber Shandwick. ^[2] [3]

One of Brown's key advisors is Ed Balls, whose father-in-law Tony Cooper is a long-standing nuclear lobbyist. ^[4] [5]

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Articles

1. ^ Nicholas Watt, Oliver Morgan and Robin McKie, "Brown's Vision for a Nuclear Britain", The Observer, May 20, 2007
2. ^, No named author, Private Eye issue 1151, p8, February 2006
3. ^ EDF Energy press release 'Andrew Brown to head media team at EDF Energy', September 13, 2004.
4. ^ Biography on Yvette Cooper's website, undated, accessed February 2006.
5. ^ Tony Cooper's biography on Nuclear Decommissioning Authority website, undated, accessed February 2006.