▁( of ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁bank ▁man agers ▁and ▁cler ks , ▁but ▁with ▁a ▁medical ▁tradition ▁on ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁side ), ▁and ▁Helen ▁( née ▁Brown ) ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Tower ▁House ▁School , ▁a ▁prepar atory ▁school ▁in ▁south - west ▁London , ▁at ▁St ▁Andrew ' s ▁School , ▁P ang bourne , ▁a ▁prepar atory ▁school ▁in ▁Ber k shire , ▁and ▁at ▁West min ster ▁School , ▁a ▁board ing ▁school ▁for ▁boys ▁in ▁West min ster ▁in ▁Central ▁London , ▁where ▁he ▁took ▁A - level s ▁in ▁English , ▁Mathemat ics , ▁Physics ▁and ▁Chem istry . ▁He ▁then ▁studied ▁at ▁Christ ▁Church , ▁Oxford , ▁and ▁Joh ns ▁Hop kins ▁University ▁where ▁he ▁gained ▁degrees ▁in ▁English ▁and ▁International ▁Rel ations . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁B oul ton ▁received ▁an ▁Honor ary ▁Doctor ate ▁of ▁Business ▁from ▁P ly mouth ▁University . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁ ▁Before ▁joining ▁Sky ▁News , ▁B oul ton ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁journalist ▁in ▁the ▁parliament ary ▁lo bb y . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁political ▁editor ▁for ▁TV - am , ▁where ▁his ▁colle ague ▁was ▁Kay ▁Bur ley ▁who ▁later ▁joined ▁Sky ▁News . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁general ▁election ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁p unch ed ▁by ▁Den is ▁He ale y ▁after ▁Anne ▁Diam ond ▁asked ▁He ale y ▁about ▁his ▁wife ▁using ▁private ▁health care ; ▁the ▁incident ▁was ▁witness ed ▁by ▁g oss ip ▁column