Education entrepreneur Jamie Beaton considered standing for National, challenging in Act-held Tāmaki

Jamie Beaton reportedly considered a run for Parliament, standing for National in Tāmaki.

Education entrepreneur Jamie Beaton considered running for National in the Auckland seat of Tāmaki, currently held by Act’s Brooke van Velden.

BusinessDesk reported that it understood Beaton had explored challenging van Velden for the seat, which has been historically held for the most part by National, before it was taken by Act in 2023.

He reportedly began outreach work, including raising funds for the party. But as the selection process progressed, his name dropped off a list of potential candidates, BusinessDesk said.

Beaton is best known as a co-founder of Crimson Education, which helps students gain admission to top global universities.

The Herald approached his representatives last week to ask about a potential run for Parliament. They confirmed he had “no intention” of entering politics.

“My focus remains on the Crimson Group and the business’ global growth trajectory,” Beaton said.

“I’m proud of the impact we have made over the years and, more than ever, I feel a strong desire to give back.

“After reflecting deeply on how I can do this most meaningfully, I believe that, as Crimson continues to grow internationally, so too does our potential to make a difference – both personally for me, through mentoring others, and collectively, through more structured initiatives.

“These include scholarships, our new hybrid school as part of Crimson Global Academy and exciting collaborations like the University of Auckland Business School’s entrepreneurship programme.

“I am committed to creating positive impact through the Crimson Group and look forward to continuing to give back as we grow.”

Beaton has recently been advocating for changes to New Zealand’s secondary school qualification. He said the “NCEA is broken” in a Herald column last month.

That came as the Government announced it was scrapping the NCEA in favour of a new qualifications regime.