[1] He resigned in April 2024 after 10 years as a public representative to take up a job running a non-profit organisation working on basic income advocacy.

[3][2] Upon his return to Northern Ireland, Brown started several small businesses, including a water and sanitation charity doing work in East Africa and a firm that supports social enterprises and other third sector organizations.

At the time he apologised for what he called an ‘incredibly stupid decision’ and worked with a road safety charity to better understand the impact drink driving has on people’s lives.

He also led a number of campaigns on progressive and green issues, including securing the council’s support for equal marriage, abortion liberalisation and divestment of councillor pension funds from fossil fuels.

In November 2023, it was revealed that a political travel business founded by Brown but sold to its then General manager in late 2021 had gone bust owing thousands of pounds to students who would not get their money back after their trips were cancelled.

He later issued a statement clarifying that he had accepted a job offer earlier that month, to run a non-profit organisation called Equal Right which campaigns for universal basic income, and that he felt he had been ‘struggling’ in the role as an MLA for some time, including coming to terms with a recent diagnosis of ADHD.

The complaint was partially upheld with the Standards and Privileges Committee concluding that Brown should not have referenced his own application to the board when raising concerns on behalf of constituents.