Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MLA’S £800 a month from bust political trip company
Bankrupt firm leaves students out of pocket
AN Alliance MLA was a paid consultant for a bust company that left students hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
Patrick Brown earned £800 a month to advise Volunteer USA, which traded as Politrip in organising trips for young people to take part in American election campaigns.
It went into liquidation with trips cancelled and students unsure if they will ever get their money back.
Almost 90 people have been listed as creditors of the business, which racked up debts of more than £64,000.
Mr Brown set up Politrip in 2017 and was sole director for a number of years. After it collapsed, the brand was sold to Volunteer USA, a company newly incorporated by Rupert Browne, Politrip’s general manager since 2019.
On his Assembly register of interests, Mr Brown said he worked as a consultant for Volunteer USA for “£800 per month” with hours varying.
He distanced himself from the firm when some Twitter users complained their trips were cancelled just weeks before departure and with no details of a refund.
The South Down MLA tweeted in July: “Politrip now trades under Volunteer USA. I am not connected to the company.”
In another message he said: “Sorry
You need to go through Volunteer USA. I’m no longer connected PATRICK BROWN TWEET TO STUDENTS
I can’t be of more assistance but you would need to go through Volunteer USA. I am not involved with them.”
Politrip emailed customers in July saying it had made the “difficult and heart-breaking decision” to cancel all trips, for which students had paid hundreds of pounds. It said that was due to “significant and unforeseen last-minute costs” and the impact Covid-19 was “still having on its ability to operate”.
Insolvency documents said the company had £2,000 cash assets but a total deficiency/surplus of more than £64,000 and 87 creditors.
Mr Brown was listed among the creditors with a bill of £6,400. In a statement he said: “Contractual financial obligations relating to sale of the business and consultancy services remained unmet. That is why I am listed as a creditor”
Rupert Browne and the liquidator SFP were approached for comment.
When Mr Brown was the director of Politrip, it sought to charge US interns up to $1,500 to travel to
Northern Ireland to volunteer on the 2019 council election campaign.
Alliance said it accounted “fully and properly” for all election expenditure and “no overseas paid campaign staff were recruited or used”.
It emerged earlier this year after the party faced criticism for advertising to recruit dozens of unpaid and low-paid foreign interns to work on May’s Stormont election campaign.
SDLP South Down MLA Colin Mcgrath called it a “serious mistake”.