In a stunning political reversal, former Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis has announced his defection to Reform UK, less than 18 months after launching a scathing public attack on the party's candidate quality.
A Dramatic U-Turn After Public Feud
The move marks a significant coup for Nigel Farage's party and represents a remarkable personal about-face for Mr Gullis. It comes despite a bitter and highly personal spat with Reform's deputy leader, Richard Tice, which erupted last year.
At the time, Mr Gullis, who lost his Stoke-on-Trent North seat at the July 2024 general election, mocked Reform in the Mail on Sunday. He highlighted that the party's candidates included a convicted animal abuser and a fortune-teller who sold spells on OnlyFans.
"We are clearly not just talking about a 'few rotten eggs' here," he wrote, questioning how such individuals could look after constituents' interests.
Tice's 'Embarrassing Information' Threat
Mr Tice, who was party leader at the time, hit back fiercely on social media platform X. In a response that shocked Westminster, he stated: “Given the multiple bits of embarrassing personal information we have on you, I suggest you pipe down on your attacks against me.”
This veiled threat made the subsequent defection, announced on 1st December 2025, all the more extraordinary. Mr Gullis is now the latest former Conservative to be welcomed into Reform's ranks.
Gullis Explains His Reasons for Switching Sides
Explaining his decision to the Stoke Sentinel, Mr Gullis said leaving the party he had been a member of for 18 years was not taken lightly. He cited a Conservative Party that had, in his view, lost touch with the public.
"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," he said.
His defection underscores the ongoing fragmentation on the right of British politics and represents a symbolic boost for Reform UK as it seeks to establish itself as a permanent force.
The move also raises immediate questions about the nature of his reconciliation with Richard Tice and the internal dynamics within Reform as it absorbs high-profile defectors from the Conservatives.
