The third degree

Back page gossip from the 5 May issue of Research Fortnight

Cash for cushions

Lord Brownlow of Shurlock Row is a man in the news at the moment. Media reports suggest he emailed Conservative Party head of fundraising Mike Chattey, party co-chairman Ben Elliott, and chief executive Darren Mott on 18 October 2020 to say he would donate £58,000 to pay for the redecoration of Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds’ flat at 11 Downing Street, and that he was to become the chair of a “soon-to-be-formed Downing St Trust”. The email has not been disputed, but the question of who initially paid the decorator’s invoice very much has.