Noel Bartram, group chief executive of Bernard Matthews Farms, said Mr Matthews died on Thursday afternoon.

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Though there is speculation that his half-brother Noel is up for the crown, the group is open to outsiders.

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In the run up to the 1997 election and afterwards, Mr McGee - who discovered the group Oasis - attended a champagne reception with Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher at Downing Street.

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