Loan MP had second firm

ANOTHER company owned by Gyles Brandreth, MP for Chester, was involved in the failed Royal Britain exhibition at London's Barbican Centre, writes Chris Blackhurst.

The exhibition was organised by Unicorn Heritage, the company run by Mr Brandreth that received, and had written-off by the Treasury, a pounds 200,000 loan from the English Tourist Board. But Companies House documents reveal a second Brandreth business was involved. Unicorn's accounts show that brochures were to be printed by Victorama, of which Mr Brandreth is a director and shareholder. He still lists Victorama in the register of MPs' interests.

Victorama received one payment of pounds 1,520 from Unicorn. However, the exhibition closed due to lack of visitors before it received any more. Mr Brandreth said the issue of Victorama profiting from the exhibition 'didn't really materialise because Unicorn went bust'.