Aaron Bell (politician)

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.[https://uk.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bell-002aab4a Aaron Bell] LinkedIn profile 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. In 2001, he took part in The Weakest Link, being the final person voted off in the episode but beating future Eggheads panellist CJ de Mooi.{{cite web | url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/tory-mps-lucrative-past-life-7779989 | title=Tory MP's lucrative past life as serial TV quiz champion | date=3 November 2022 }} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://britainelects.newstatesman.com/2019/12/12/previewing-the-12th-december-council-by-elections/|title=Previewing the 12th December council by-elections|last=Teale|first=Andrew|date=12 December 2019|work=New Statesman|access-date=14 December 2019|url-access=registration}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/hes-appeared-deal-no-deal-3639575|title=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|last=Ault|first=Richard|date=13 December 2019|work=Stoke-on-Trent Live|access-date=14 December 2019}}

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.{{Cite web|title=About Aaron Bell|url=https://www.aaronbell.org.uk/about-aaron-bell|access-date=2020-07-31|website=Aaron Bell MP|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/political-parties/conservative-party/house/house-magazine/108577/class-2019-meet-new-mps|title=Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs|last=PoliticsHome.com|date=2019-12-16|website=PoliticsHome.com|language=en|access-date=2019-12-17}}

Bell stood in the Labour-held seat of Don Valley in South Yorkshire at the 2017 election, but was unsuccessful.{{Cite web |last=Ault |first=Richard |date=2019-12-13 |title=Everything you need to know about Newcastle's new Tory MP Aaron Bell |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/hes-appeared-deal-no-deal-3639575 |access-date=2020-07-31 |website=stokesentinel}} 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.{{Cite news|title=Newcastle-under-Lyme parliamentary constituency – Election 2019|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/constituencies/E14000834|access-date=2020-07-31}}

As of 21 January 2020, he was an unpaid member of the board of Town Deal Newcastle-under-Lyme.{{cite web|url=https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/all-services/business/business-information/newcastle-under-lyme-town-deal|title=Newcastle-under-Lyme Town Deal|website=Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council|access-date=19 November 2020}}

Bell benefitted from hospitality worth thousands of pounds, provided on behalf of the gambling industry.{{Cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/211101/bell_aaron.htm|title=House of Commons – The Register of Members' Financial Interests (1 November 2021: Bell, Aaron )|accessdate=13 March 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/north-staffs-mp-enjoyed-6995-6233955|title=Newcastle MP enjoyed £6.9k hospitality from gambling firms at Euro 2020|date=22 November 2021|work=The Sentinel|first1=David|last1=Dubas-Fisher|first2=Phil|last2=Corrigan}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/15/almost-225000-in-wages-and-freebies-taken-from-gambling-industry-by-28-mps|title=Almost £225,000 in wages and freebies taken from gambling industry by 28 MPs|date=15 November 2021|work=The Guardian|first=Rob|last=Davies}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/23/mps-criticise-uk-gambling-regulator-addiction|title=MPs criticise UK gambling regulator for trying to reduce addiction|date=23 January 2022|work=The Guardian|first=Rob|last=Davies}} He was a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling, spoke out against tougher regulation of gambling and criticised measures taken by the gambling industry regulator to reduce addiction.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/23/mps-criticise-uk-gambling-regulator-addiction|title=MPS criticise UK gambling regulator for trying to reduce addiction|work=The Guardian |date=23 January 2022}}

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.{{cite web|title=Committee on Standards – in the House of Commons at 12:49 pm on 3rd November 2021 |url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2021-11-03c.938.0 |access-date=23 December 2021 |work=TheyWorkForYou}}

Bell was elected Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group in 2021.{{cite web|url=https://humanism.org.uk/2021/05/25/harassed-attacked-arrested-humanists-in-parliament-hear-about-global-worrying-rise-in-non-religious-persecution/|title='Harassed. Attacked. Arrested.' Humanists in Parliament hear about global worrying rise in non-religious persecution|date=25 May 2021|accessdate=9 June 2021|work=Humanists UK}} He became the secretary in 2022.{{cite web|url=https://humanists.uk/2022/05/25/new-officers-elected-by-all-party-parliamentary-humanist-group/|title=New officers elected by All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group|work=Humanists UK|date=25 May 2022|accessdate=5 July 2022}}

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.{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-fool-covid-rules-funeral-b2004522.html| title=Tory backbencher asks if Boris Johnson 'thinks I'm a fool' for following Covid rules at grandmother's funeral| work=The Independent| author=Emily Atkinson| date=31 January 2022| access-date=3 November 2022}}

On 31 May 2024, Bell announced he would stand down at the 2024 United Kingdom general election due to personal and family reasons.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-31 |title=Conservative Aaron Bell says he will not contest general election |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c844pqyld84o |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}} In October 2024, and following a complaint in February 2024, parliament's Independent Expert Panel reprimanded him for "brazen and drunken" sexual misconduct in parliament’s Strangers' Bar in December 2023 by touching a young female member of staff's thigh, waist and bottom without her consent.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/29/ex-tory-mp-aaron-bell-reprimanded-for-brazen-sexual-misconduct |title=Ex-Tory MP reprimanded for 'brazen' sexual misconduct |last=Courea |first=Eleni |newspaper=The Guardian |date=29 October 2024 |access-date=29 October 2024}} Bell apologised for his behavior and acknowledged that his decision to stand down was motivated in part by the investigation.{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tory-aaron-bell-sexual-misconduct-parliament-bar-strangers-b1190750.html|title=Ex Tory whip Aaron Bell committed 'serious sexual misconduct' on young woman in Commons bar|newspaper=Evening Standard|date=29 October 2024|last=Burford|first=Rachael}}

Bell lives in Newcastle-under-Lyme {{cite web |last1=Castle |first1=Richard |title=BBC Only Connect host Victoria Coren Mitchell 'proud' of North Staffordshire MP for blasting Boris Johnson |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/bbc-only-connect-host-victoria-7774990 |website=Stoke Sentinel |date=2 November 2022 |publisher=Reach PLC |access-date=3 November 2022}} with his wife Emily, whom he married in 2008. They have three children.{{Cite web|title=Aaron Bell MP|url=https://www.westmidlandsconservatives.com/people/aaron-bell-mp|access-date=2020-07-31|website=West Midlands|language=en}}

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.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/0f7f6734-640c-4473-bfd7-3f46f783bfe6 | title=Q and a with Only Connect's question editors | date=26 February 2018 }}

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Category:1980 births

Category:English atheists

Category:English humanists

Category:Living people

Category:UK MPs 2019–2024

Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies

Category:Alumni of St John's College, Oxford

Category:People educated at St Olave's Grammar School

Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Newcastle-under-Lyme