Draft:Ben Aston

Ben Aston (born 23 March 1981) is a British politician who is standing as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Bournemouth West in the 2024 UK General Election.

Born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Aston moved to Newbury in Berkshire aged five. He currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer for online advertising company, AdTech. He was Dorset Regional Coordinator for Brexit-supporting campaign group, Leavers of Britain, and later stood on a Clean Brexit ticket as an Independent candidate in the 2019 General Election.

Early Life and career
Aston was born on 23 March 1981 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, and moved with his family to Berkshire in 1986. He was privately educated at Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, and read Computer Science at the University of Southampton. While at university, he was not politically active.

He held a number of jobs in the technology sector. He currently serves as Chief Technology Officer for AdTech, a company that supplies online publishers with access to search engine advertising. Aston also runs a brand that manufactures bicycle accessories.

Political career
Having previously been active in grassroots campaigning for Brexit, Aston stood unsuccessfully as an Independent candidate in the Bournemouth East constituency in 2019.

In June 2024, Aston was selected as the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Reform UK in Bournemouth West, after the previous candidate was deselected for comments made on social media.

Foreign affairs
Writing in June 2024, Aston described UK foreign policy as "a hawkish and immoral litany of failure", explaining that, "In light of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Ukraine, there needs to be a complete re-evaluation of how the UK engages with the world."

Role of the state:-

Writing on X, Aston said, "The State is an inefficient, coercive, necessary evil. I favour a small state, with governance focussing on avoiding tragedy-of-the-commons-style outcomes."

Migration Policy
On migration, Aston believes that net migration numbers needs to be radically reduced, along with the introduction of strict entry requirements and restrictions on chain migration. Writing on X he said, "With around 1.2 million new arrivals each year, current UK migration policy is unsustainable and unwanted by the overwhelming majority of British people. Immigration is a top issue this election cycle; we need a radical rethink."

European Union
A strong Eurosceptic, Aston was deeply involved in the British effort to leave the European Union. He has described the EU as, "the Liberal Democrats, but you can't unelect them.”

Personal Life
Aston is a competitive cyclist