 He went to Fowlmere Primary School, The Perse School and Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge, and then studied mathematics at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.Browne began his career as a journalist.He was business reporter and economics correspondent for the BBC (1993–1998); economics correspondent, health editor and environment correspondent for the "Observer" newspaper (1998–2002); and environment editor, Europe correspondent, and chief political correspondent for "The Times" (2002–2007).