Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
A former Tory deputy chairman has defected to Reform UK. Jonathan Gullis is one of three ex-Conservative MPs who have become the latest to switch to Nigel Farage’s insurgent party with Lia Nici, who served as Grimsby MP, and ex-Bolton West MP Chris Green.
The former Stoke-on-Trent North MP warned that the Conservatives have “lost touch” with voters as he criticised his old party over immigration and net zero. He said: “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.”
The former Red Wall MP said Britain faces “serious and deep rooted challenges” and needs “bold, radical ideas alongside the determination to deliver them”.
Mr Gullis added: “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.
Jonathan Gullis has switched to Reform UK (Image: Getty)
“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.”
The three defections are the first since East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger left the Tories to join Reform in September.
They follow a series of others including former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, ex-Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who is now Reform’s Greater Lincolnshire mayor.
A Reform party source said: “The Conservative Party is dead. Only Reform can beat Labour at the next election as the polls show time and time again.”
It comes as Mr Farage’s party, which has five MPs, is consistently leading national opinion polls.
Ex-Tory MP Jonathan Gullis Defects to Reform UK in Major Win for Nigel Farage
The political landscape in Britain has been handed another significant development after former Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis defected to Reform UK, delivering a major boost to Nigel Farage and his growing political movement.
The move represents another challenge for the Conservatives as they attempt to rebuild their support and convince former voters that the party remains a credible alternative to Labour.
The former MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, who previously served as a Conservative deputy party chairman and briefly held a ministerial position in the Department for Education, announced his decision to join Reform in December 2025.
His departure is particularly significant because Gullis had previously been a prominent supporter of the Conservatives and had worked closely with Boris Johnson during his time in government.
The defection also came alongside two other former Conservative MPs, Chris Green and Lia Nici, who joined Reform on the same day.
Together, the moves represented another blow to a Conservative Party already struggling to contain the growing influence of Farage.
A former Conservative loyalist joins Farage’s movement
Gullis had spent 18 years as a member of the Conservative Party before deciding that its political direction no longer reflected his beliefs.
He represented Stoke-on-Trent North from 2019 until the 2024 general election, when he lost his parliamentary seat.
During his time in Westminster, he became known as a vocal Conservative politician, particularly on education, immigration and issues affecting working-class communities.
He also served as a parliamentary private secretary under Boris Johnson and briefly held a junior ministerial position.
His political journey makes the decision to join Reform particularly noteworthy.
Gullis had previously rejected suggestions that he might defect to Farage’s party.
In 2024, he reportedly insisted there was no possibility of him joining Reform, even as several former Conservative colleagues began moving towards the growing political movement.
His eventual decision therefore represents a significant change in political direction.
Explaining his departure, Gullis criticised the Conservatives for losing touch with the people they were supposed to represent.
He pointed to what he considered failures over both legal and illegal immigration, alongside the party’s approach to net zero policies and their potential impact on household energy bills and employment.
He argued that the Conservatives had lost the trust of ordinary voters.
For Farage, welcoming someone with Gullis’s political background provides an opportunity to demonstrate that Reform is attracting people who have previously occupied important positions within the Conservative establishment.
Another difficult moment for Kemi Badenoch
The defection creates another headache for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
Her party has been attempting to recover from its devastating general election defeat and rebuild relationships with voters who have turned towards Reform.
The Conservatives once enjoyed a dominant position across much of England.
However, the rise of Farage has created a serious challenge to that traditional political strength.
Reform has attracted support from voters who believe the Conservatives failed to deliver on promises involving immigration, taxation and public services.
The departure of former Conservative politicians also reinforces the impression that some members of the party no longer believe it can successfully rebuild itself.
For Badenoch, the problem is not simply the loss of individual politicians.
It is the wider political message created when former MPs and experienced party figures decide that their future lies elsewhere.
Every defection gives Reform another opportunity to present itself as the natural destination for dissatisfied Conservative supporters.
However, Badenoch faces a difficult task in convincing voters that the Conservatives can still offer a credible alternative.
She must demonstrate that the party has learned from its previous mistakes while developing policies capable of competing with Farage’s increasingly ambitious political programme.
Farage’s recruitment strategy gathers momentum
For Nigel Farage, Gullis’s arrival represents more than another name joining the party.
Reform has been working to strengthen its organisation and attract people with experience in government, local administration and political campaigning.
The party’s ambitions have expanded considerably beyond simply challenging the Conservatives at elections.
Farage wants Reform to be seen as a credible party of government.
That requires experienced personnel who understand how political institutions operate and how policies can be translated into practical decisions.
Former Conservative MPs can potentially provide that experience.
Gullis’s background in education and his knowledge of communities in Staffordshire could also prove useful as Reform attempts to strengthen its presence in the Midlands.
His political experience gives the party another figure capable of speaking about the challenges facing local communities.
The recruitment also sends a message to other Conservative politicians who may be considering their political futures.
If former MPs continue to join Reform, the party could increasingly become a destination for politicians who believe the traditional Conservative movement is no longer capable of delivering the changes they want.
A growing challenge in Staffordshire
Gullis’s political ambitions have also developed beyond his parliamentary career.
Following his defection, he became increasingly involved in Reform’s local political organisation.
In May 2026, after Reform secured control of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, he was selected to lead the party’s council group.
The result was another important development for Reform in Staffordshire.
The party secured 27 seats on the authority, giving it a majority, while the Conservatives were reduced to 15 seats and Labour held just two.
Gullis said he wanted the authority to become a flagship example of how Reform could govern at local level.
This represents an important opportunity for him to demonstrate that his political ambitions extend beyond joining a high-profile national party.
Local government provides an opportunity to show voters whether Reform can deliver practical improvements.
Road maintenance, council spending, social care, children’s services and local regeneration are all issues that directly affect residents.
If Reform can demonstrate successful administration in areas such as Newcastle-under-Lyme, it may strengthen its argument that the party is ready for greater political responsibility.
However, controlling a council also brings difficult decisions.
Voters will judge the party on its results rather than simply its promises.
The Conservatives face an increasingly difficult battle
The wider significance of Gullis’s defection is the continuing struggle between Reform and the Conservatives for influence over Britain’s political right.
For years, the Conservative Party was the natural home for voters who supported lower taxation, stronger immigration controls and a smaller role for the state.
Reform is now competing directly for many of those voters.
Farage has repeatedly argued that the Conservatives had opportunities to deliver meaningful changes but failed to fulfil their promises.
The departure of former Conservative politicians gives that argument additional political weight.
However, Reform also faces its own challenges.
Attracting former MPs does not automatically guarantee electoral success.
The party must prove that it can maintain internal discipline, develop coherent policies and manage the expectations of an increasingly diverse group of supporters.
There is also the question of whether former Conservatives joining Reform will strengthen the movement or create tensions over its political identity.
Farage has insisted that Reform should not simply become another version of the Conservative Party.
That distinction will become increasingly important as more former Tory figures arrive.
Reform must convince voters that it represents a genuine alternative rather than simply a new home for politicians who have abandoned their previous party.
A political battle far from over
Gullis’s decision to join Reform marks another chapter in the continuing transformation of British politics.
For Nigel Farage, it is an opportunity to strengthen his party with someone who understands the Conservative political establishment.
For Kemi Badenoch, it is another reminder that rebuilding the Conservatives will be considerably harder if former colleagues continue to leave.
And for voters, the growing movement of politicians between parties raises important questions about political loyalty, leadership and the future direction of the country.
The next challenge for Gullis will be proving that his decision produces meaningful results for the communities he wants to represent.
For Farage, the priority will be turning a series of high-profile defections into a stronger and more effective political organisation.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, must decide how to respond to a rival that is increasingly attracting people who once helped build their own political movement.
One thing is clear: the competition between Reform and the Conservatives is becoming more intense, and every defection gives Nigel Farage another opportunity to argue that Britain’s political landscape is changing permanently.
The question now is whether Reform can turn that growing influence into lasting electoral success.