Aaron Bell (politician) explained

Aaron Bell
Office2:Member of Parliament
for Newcastle-under-Lyme
Term Start2:12 December 2019
Term End2:30 May 2024
Predecessor2:Paul Farrelly
Successor2:Adam Jogee
Birth Name:Aaron Stuart Bell
Birth Date:1980 2, df=yes
Birth Place:Dulwich, Greater London, England
Party:Conservative
Alma Mater:St. John's College, Oxford (BA)
Office1:Assistant Government Whip
Termstart1:14 November 2023
Primeminister1:Rishi Sunak
Term End1:30 May 2024

Aaron Stuart Bell (born 25 February 1980) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Newcastle-under-Lyme from 2019 to 2024.[1] [2]

Early life

Bell was born in Dulwich, south east London, to parents Stuart and Janet Bell. He was educated at St Olave's Grammar School (a voluntary aided grammar school) in Greater London, and then privately educated at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, USA. He then studied PPE at St John's College, Oxford.[3] Bell graduated with a BA in 2001.

Before his political career, Bell was a successful quizzer: he was part of the St John's College, Oxford team that were runners up in the 2000–01 series of University Challenge; he won the Krypton Factor in 2009; he was part of the Epicureans team that won Only Connect in 2010; he also won £25,000 on Deal or No Deal in 2006.[4] [5]

Bell worked as a trading development manager from 2003 to 2006, being employed by Ladbrokes. He was a senior trading performance analyst from 2006 to 2019 for the online betting company Bet365, and co-founded DivideBuy, a financial technology firm which employs 40 staff in Newcastle.[6] [7]

Political career

Bell stood in the Labour-held seat of Don Valley in South Yorkshire at the 2017 election, but was unsuccessful.[8] Bell was elected as MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme at the 2019 general election being the first Conservative MP for the constituency in modern times.[9]

As of 21 January 2020, he has been an unpaid member of the board of Town Deal Newcastle-under-Lyme.[10]

Bell has benefitted from hospitality worth thousands of pounds, provided on behalf of the gambling industry.[11] [12] [13] [14] He is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling, has spoken out against tougher regulation of gambling and criticised measures taken by the gambling industry regulator to reduce addiction.[15]

In November 2021, he was one of 13 Conservative MPs who voted against a government-supported amendment to defer the suspension of Conservative MP Owen Paterson who was found to have breached lobbying rules.[16]

Bell was elected Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group in 2021.[17] He became the secretary in 2022.[18]

In January 2022, in the wake of the Partygate controversy, Bell publicly criticised Boris Johnson by asking: "Does the Prime Minister think I'm a fool" for properly following COVID-19 regulations during his grandmother's funeral the year before.[19]

On 31 May 2024, he announced he will stand down at the 2024 United Kingdom general election due to personal and family reasons.[20]

Personal life

Bell lives in Newcastle-under-Lyme [21] with his wife Emily, whom he married in 2008. They have three children.[22] [8]

Bell appeared on the fourth series of BBC Four quiz show Only Connect as a member of the Epicureans, scoring the highest score of 41.[23]

Notes and References

  1. News: Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituency – Election 2019. BBC News. 15 December 2019. en-GB.
  2. Web site: Bell, Aaron Stuart, (born 25 Feb. 1980), MP (C) Newcastle-under-Lyme, since 2019. 2021-04-29. WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2020. en. 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u293961. 978-0-19-954088-4.
  3. https://uk.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bell-002aab4a Aaron Bell
  4. News: Previewing the 12th December council by-elections. Teale. Andrew. 12 December 2019. New Statesman. 14 December 2019. registration.
  5. News: He's appeared on Deal or No Deal and the Krypton Factor – everything you need to know about Newcastle's new Tory MP Aaron Bell. Ault. Richard. 13 December 2019. Stoke-on-Trent Live. 14 December 2019.
  6. Web site: About Aaron Bell. 2020-07-31. Aaron Bell MP. en.
  7. Web site: Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs. PoliticsHome.com. 2019-12-16. PoliticsHome.com. en. 2019-12-17.
  8. Web site: Ault . Richard . 2019-12-13 . Everything you need to know about Newcastle's new Tory MP Aaron Bell . 2020-07-31 . stokesentinel.
  9. News: Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituency – Election 2019. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-07-31.
  10. Web site: Newcastle-under-Lyme Town Deal. Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council. 19 November 2020.
  11. Web site: House of Commons – The Register of Members' Financial Interests (1 November 2021: Bell, Aaron). 13 March 2023.
  12. News: Newcastle MP enjoyed £6.9k hospitality from gambling firms at Euro 2020. 22 November 2021. The Sentinel. David. Dubas-Fisher. Phil. Corrigan.
  13. News: Almost £225,000 in wages and freebies taken from gambling industry by 28 MPs. 15 November 2021. The Guardian. Rob. Davies.
  14. News: MPs criticise UK gambling regulator for trying to reduce addiction. 23 January 2022. The Guardian. Rob. Davies.
  15. News: MPS criticise UK gambling regulator for trying to reduce addiction. The Guardian . 23 January 2022.
  16. Web site: Committee on Standards – in the House of Commons at 12:49 pm on 3rd November 2021 . 23 December 2021 . TheyWorkForYou.
  17. Web site: 'Harassed. Attacked. Arrested.' Humanists in Parliament hear about global worrying rise in non-religious persecution. 25 May 2021. 9 June 2021. Humanists UK.
  18. Web site: New officers elected by All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group. Humanists UK. 25 May 2022. 5 July 2022.
  19. News: Tory backbencher asks if Boris Johnson 'thinks I'm a fool' for following Covid rules at grandmother's funeral. The Independent. Emily Atkinson. 31 January 2022. 3 November 2022.
  20. Web site: 2024-05-31 . Conservative Aaron Bell says he will not contest general election . 2024-05-31 . BBC News . en-GB.
  21. Web site: Castle . Richard . BBC Only Connect host Victoria Coren Mitchell 'proud' of North Staffordshire MP for blasting Boris Johnson . Stoke Sentinel . 2 November 2022 . Reach PLC . 3 November 2022.
  22. Web site: Aaron Bell MP. 2020-07-31. West Midlands. en.
  23. Web site: Q and a with Only Connect's question editors . 26 February 2018 .