Former Stoke-on-Trent MP defects to Reform from the Conservatives
Jonathan Gullis has announced he's leaving the Conservative Party
Last updated 1st Dec 2025
The former MP for Stoke-on-Trent North has defected to Reform UK.
Jonathan Gullis has announced he's leaving the Conservative Party after 18 years.
The Kidsgrove Mayor lost his Parliamentary seat at the last general election.
Gullis said he believes "only Reform UK has the vision and courage needed to restore pride in Britain and deliver real change" whilst the Conservative party, he says, has "lost touch with the people it was meant to serve."
His statement in full
"Today I am pleased to be joining Reform UK.
"Leaving the Conservative Party after 18 years is not a decision I have taken lightly. Over time, I have watched a party I once believed in lose touch with the people it was meant to serve.
"From failing to control both legal and illegal migration to pursuing a Net Zero agenda that has seen a rise in our household energy bills and put jobs in Stoke-on-Trent’s world famous ceramics sector at risk, the Conservative Party has understandably lost the trust of the British people.
"As a country, we face serious and deep rooted challenges, and what is required now are bold, radical ideas alongside the determination to deliver them.
"I believe only Reform UK has the vision and courage needed to restore pride in Britain and deliver real change, putting our country and our communities first. Nigel Farage has shown, consistently over many decades, the courage of his convictions, and it is that strength of leadership which will drive forward the bold and radical reforms our country so urgently needs.
"I look forward to meeting Reform UK members locally and across the country, getting out on the doorstep, and working together to earn voters' trust. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, one we must not waste, to bring about the change our country truly needs under a Reform UK government."