In September 2015 Browne was appointed as a "Special Representative for the City of London Corporation" in the European Union, as part of the city's efforts to boost its presence in Brussels. Browne left this role in August 2018.
Browne became a researcher for the Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith in 1993. He worked for financial-consultancy Dewe Rogerson and has also worked for public relations firms Edelman and Reputationinc. He worked for the Liberal Democrats nationally and rose to be their Director of Press and Broadcasting under the leadership of Paddy Ashdown and Charles Kennedy.[6]
Browne presented a private member's bill entitled the Organ Donation (Presumed Consent) Bill 2008–09.[11][12] The Bill aimed to address the problem of a lack of organs available for transplant in the UK. Over 1000 people a year die whilst on waiting lists for organs.
During the 2009 expenses scandal, Browne was initially asked to pay back £17,894 in mortgage payments by the Legg Report, after re-mortgaging his London home to provide a deposit for a constituency home.[13] He appealed this decision, making him the first MP to do so, and argued that he was being penalised for using his own money instead of claiming a greater amount from the taxpayer.[14] His appeal was successful, with Sir Paul Kennedy accepting that the arrangement cost the taxpayer less than the alternative options and saying that Browne had acted "openly and honestly, and for the very purpose for which ACA was established".[15] In the final report, Browne was not required to repay anything.[16]
In 2010 after some boundary changes, Browne defended his renamed seat, Taunton Deane, with an increased majority of 3,993.[17]
Coalition government
Browne speaking in 2013
Following the 2010 general election as part of the new coalition government Browne was appointed Minister of State with the responsibility for South East Asia & Far East, Caribbean, Central & South America, Australasia & Pacific, human rights, consular, migration, drugs and international crime, public diplomacy and the Olympics at the Foreign Office. In the government reshuffle of September 2012 he was appointed Minister of State for crime prevention and drug policy in the Home Office. In the reshuffle of October 2013 he was returned to the back benches.
Browne confirmed that he had been approached by senior Tories, such as Grant Shapps, in the hope he might be persuaded to defect to the Conservative Party. Interviewed about those who said he was in the wrong party, Browne said: "I'd turn that on its head. I'd say my ambition for the Lib Dems is to attract the small 'l' liberals in the Conservative and Labour parties.[18]
Browne was the UK Government representative at the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War.
On 15 October 2014, Browne announced that he would stand down at the next general election.[19]
In 2014, following his years in the Foreign Office, he wrote a book called Race Plan: An authentic liberal plan to get Britain fit for "The Global Race". It details a warning to British political classes of the urgent necessity to get fit for the global race against the new powerhouses of Asia and Latin America. It has been described as a tightly argued plea for a more ambitious liberalism.[23]
Browne writes: "Britain must work with, rather than against, the forces of globalisation. We must champion our economic liberalism if we are to keep our markets open for business. In addition we need to rediscover the true meaning of social liberalism. The task today is to push power, money, information and choice down to the individual citizen, so that everyone can enjoy the opportunities that a fortunate few take for granted."[24] Several of his proposed policy ideas received broad media attention, including calls for the top rate of tax to be returned to 40%, the introduction of portable school vouchers allowing parents to choose their child's school, allowing free schools to function for profit, reduction of the state to 35–38% of GDP, the removal of ring-fencing of public spending in areas including health, more patient choice and the creation of new sources of revenue including insurance payments, abolition of the Department for Energy and Climate Change, big increases in infrastructure spending on new housing, roads, high-speed rail and a new hub airport in the Thames Estuary, and reform of the House of Lords.[25]
Polls and awards
Jeremy Browne was nominated for the Stonewall Politician of the Year Award in 2011 for his work to support equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
He was given a score of 79% in favour of lesbian, gay and bisexual equality by Stonewall.[26] On 5 February 2013 he voted in favour in the House of Commons Second Reading vote on marriage equality in Britain.[27]