PM's brother wins newspaper case

The newspaper made a public apology to Andrew Brown

The brother of Prime Minister Gordon Brown has won a public apology and a donation to charity over false newspaper claims against him.

The Scotland on Sunday newspaper claimed Andrew Brown "pocketed" part of his brother's parliamentary expenses.

Mr Brown, a director of EDF Energy, sued for libel over the article, which was published on 10 May.

The newspaper's publishers had now accepted it should not have run the story, Mr Brown's lawyer said.

The newspaper had printed the allegations against Andrew Brown, the youngest of three brothers, under the headline "Zero tolerance for scum who exploit expenses".

Solicitor Chris Scott told London's High Court that the article, also published online, suggested that Mr Brown had "pocketed improper and/or corrupt payments claimed by his brother on parliamentary expenses under the guise of payments to Andrew Brown for 'cleaning services'."

'Entirely false'

Mr Scott added: "Statements issued by Downing Street on 8 and 9 May, prior to the publication of the article, refuted entirely these suggestions."

Downing Street had, he said, made clear that Andrew Brown was legitimately reimbursed for the prime minister's share of the costs of a cleaner who worked at both Andrew Brown's and the prime minister's personal domestic properties.

"The libel contained in the article was therefore entirely false", he told judge Mr Justice Eady.

"The publication of the allegations has caused damage to Andrew Brown's personal and professional reputation and he has suffered considerable embarrassment, hurt and distress."

Mr Scott added that The Scotsman Publications Ltd had published an apology, confirming that there had been "no impropriety or illegality" on the part of Andrew Brown.

The solicitor concluded: "The defendant has also undertaken not to repeat this libel in any form, to reimburse Andrew Brown for his legal costs and to make a donation to the charity, Jennifer Brown Research Fund."