Boris Johnson ‘planned £150,000 treehouse for son Wilf at Chequers but was forced to scrap idea after police raised security fears’

David Brownlow, Baron of Shurlock Row, 57, is an entrepreneur who has had ties with the Conservative party for at least 15 years.

Sitting at 521st on The Sunday Times rich list, Lord Brownlow made his estimated £271 million fortune through recruitment firm Huntswood CTC and later in private equity.

His business empire now covers travel, fashion and hospitality and property – and even includes a chain of gastropubs in southern England.

Originally from Liverpool, he studied economics at Newcastle Polytechnic, before moving south to join Thames Valley Police force in Slough. But his law enforcement aspiration did not stick and instead he found himself moving into recruitment.

Lord Brownlow has been involved in several philanthropic ventures, setting up the David Brownlow Charitable Foundation in 2013 which focuses on work involving communities ‘where there is an element of disadvantage’ in Berkshire where he is based.

He has also been involved in the The Prince’s Countryside Fund and is a trustee of the Royal Albert Hall.

Brownlow has connections with the last three Conservative Prime Ministers. His donations to the Tories started in 2005, the year David Cameron took the party’s leadership. Since then he has donated around £3million to the party frequently in smaller amounts.

He dined with former PM Theresa May at Chequers in November 2017, shortly after vice-chairman of the party in July, a position he held until July 2020.

Following her resignation in 2019, May recommended Lord Brownlow for a life peerage.

He also donated £100,000 to the pro-EU Stronger In campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum.