EDF's failure to clinch British Energy just when everyone thought the crucial deal was done was yet another blow that the Prime Minister could have done without. And perhaps he should have been one of the first to know: Gordon Brown's younger brother Andrew is director of communications for the French power group in the UK.

EDF has been at the forefront of campaigning for new nuclear stations. It is, therefore, a bit embarrassing for its main spokesman that the French group has for the moment no way forward with British Energy, which owns the majority of the key nuclear stations and sites.

Vincent de Rivaz, EDF Energy's chief executive, has done the rounds of energy conferences issuing dire warnings about Britain's power capacity if nuclear does not win backing. But he has also emphasised that he has no inside track on ministers' views. No nods and winks, then, over Sunday lunch between the brothers, who are believed to be close socially.

Mr Brown was hired by EDF Energy four years ago from Weber Shandwick, a public relations and lobbying organisation. At the time, Michael Prescott, Weber Shandwick's head of corporate communications, described him as a “very calming, very thoughtful, very mature person with a gentle sense of humour”.

Andrew Brown had moved to lobbying after a lengthy career as a broadcast journalist, working first as a BBC TV Scotland reporter before becoming a producer for Newsnight and then economics and business producer for Channel 4 News. A 26-year career in journalism ended with a seven-year editorship of Channel 4 News' thrice-weekly lunchtime political discussion programme Powerhouse.

The younger Mr Brown dislikes connections being made with his brother, especially in the nuclear industry, which is well known for its attachments to the political world. He maintains that he does his job, his brother does his.

He also eschews the limelight, largely keeping off-camera despite his broadcast past - an ability his brother must envy at the moment.