Who is James Ashby? Pauline Hanson's 'favourite son' – video

James Ashby is a key figure in One Nation, a party led by Pauline Hanson. According to The Guardian Australia, Ashby has risen from a PR role to a position where he wields significant power over the party, possibly even comparable to Hanson's. He has been referred to as Hanson's "favourite son".

One Nation has used party funds to build a $56,000 shed on Ashby's private property, as reported by The Guardian. The shed was purchased by Small Batch Brewing Pty Ltd, a company linked to One Nation, despite the company not having a revenue stream or a license to make or sell alcohol.

Ashby's influence within One Nation and his personal connections to the party's finances have raised questions about his role and the party's use of funds. The Guardian Australia has spoken to senior correspondent Sarah Martin about Ashby's rise to prominence within the party.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia, The Guardian — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.