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John AultFRSA FRGS is a formerLiberal Democrat politician in England. He is now an academic, election observer, and writer.
Ault studied for an Open degree at theOpen University and subsequently received his PhD from theUniversity of Exeter in 2014.[1]
Ault entered local politics in 1992 being elected to the Appleton Parish Council at the age of 21.[2] He contested theWyre parliamentary constituency in the same year andSouth Lancashire European Parliamentary constituency in 1994 – where the future leader of the Liberal Democrats,Tim Farron, acted as Ault's election agent.[3]Having moved to Cornwall to become election agent to future Liberal Democrat MP,Colin Breed, he contested Calstock in the1997 Cornwall County Council Elections. Working for the Liberal Democrats he was agent for theEddisbury,Wigan,Preston andOgmore by-elections between 1999 and 2002 and contested theMethyr Tydil and Rhymney Welsh Assembly Seat in 2003.Having returned to Cornwall in 2003 he won the Rame division ofCornwall County Council,[4] defeating the present Member of Parliament for South East Cornwall,Sheryll Murray in 2005.[4]
Following theUK referendum on the Alternative Vote in 2011 Ault was Chair of theElectoral Reform Society from 2011 to 2012.[5]
In 2009, Ault stood in theCornwall Council election for theFalmouth Trescobeas division, coming in third place.[6] In the 2013 elections, he contested theMabe, Perranarworthal and St Gluvias division, again coming third.[7] Ault stood again for the Mabe, Perranarworthal and St Gluvias seat in a by-election in 2014. He failed to win the seat by just 1 vote.[8]
Ault also appeared on BBC'sTop Gear wherehe won ‘The Fastest Political Party’ in Season 2 of the show in 2003.[9]
Ault is also involved in international and UK election observation in his role as Director ofDemocracy Volunteers.[10] He has observed international elections in theUnited States,Kazakhstan andCanada as well as UK elections and referendums.[citation needed]
In 2008, Ault became a member of staff at theUniversity of Exeter (Penryn) where he now lectures politics as an Associate Research Fellow and is director of theCornish Audio-Visual Archive (CAVA).[1]
Liberal Democrats in Cornwall – Culture, Character or Campaigns?, Amazon 2015ISBN 978-1511428941
By-elections: Essays of the Nations (Nationalist Expression), Amazon 2015ISBN 978-1514773512
Thirty Days in February, Amazon 2016ISBN 978-1511503693
The Inter-War Cornish By-Elections: Microcosm of 'Rebellion'? inCornish Studies, Volume 20, Number 1, 1 May 2012, pp. 241–259(19)(ed. Philip Payton)ISBN 978-0859898867
The other Rathbone: Beatrice, the trans-Atlantic envoy, Issue 71Women's History Magazine, Spring 2013[11]
