THE controversial Boris Johnson loyalist Jonathan Gullis, who railed against “woke warrior teachers” and the media’s “sick obsession” with Covid deaths, has quit the UK Government.
It comes after chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid resigned, having lost confidence in the Prime Minister. A small number of other lower ranking government figures have stepped down too.
Jonathan Gullis, the MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, resigned his role as parliamentary private secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, saying the Conservative Party has been “more focused on dealing with our reputational damage rather than delivering for the people of this country”.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Gullis said he was resigning “with a heavy heart”.
NEW: Jonathan Gullis has resigned his role as PPS. pic.twitter.com/OcP4LV92R6
— Richard Price - LDR (@journoontheedge) July 5, 2022
He wrote: “I have been a member of the Conservative Party my entire adult life, a party I believe represents opportunity for all. I feel for too long we have been more focused on dealing with our reputational damage rather than delivering for the people of this country and spreading opportunity for all, which is why I came into politics.
“It is for this reason I can no longer to serve as part of your government.
“I will continue to focus on standing up for the people of Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, protecting and preserving our heritage, creating new high skilled and high wage jobs locally and making sure people have access to the very best healthcare and education this country has to offer.”
Who is Jonathan Gullis?
Gullis is one of the MPs elected in the 2019 Tory intake. At the time of his election, Gullis was employed as a school teacher and head of year at Fairfax Academy in Sutton Coldfield, and served as the school's trade union representative.
The 32-year-old described his classroom personality as "a mixture of Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg", and said that he "liked to play the character of an English gent".
In October 2020 Gullis caused outrage when he voted against extending free school meals to the holidays, saying he would not address a "baying mob" in response to an alleged planned protest during his visit to a church food bank.
In October last year, a leaked report revealed that Gullis said people who use the term "white privilege" should be reported to the Home Office as extremists.
Who else has quit?
Meanwhile on Tuesday night, speaking to Talk TV after the resignations of Sunak and Javid, a Conservative Party vice chair said he too would have to leave his position.
Confirming he would be resigning, Bim Afolami said: “I think you have to resign because I can’t serve under the Prime Minister – but I say that with regret because I think this Government has done some great things.”
And Tory MP Andrew Murrison stepped down from his post as trade envoy to Morocco, writing a letter to Johnson in which he calls for the Prime Minister to resign.
Murrison’s resignation letter states that the implications of Lord McDonald’s letter on Tuesday morning, that the Prime Minister had been briefed about Chris Pincher’s conduct, were the “last straw in the rolling chaos of the past six months”.
Later, Conservative MP Saqib Bhatti quit his role as parliamentary private secretary to the health secretary, stating “recent events have undermined trust and standards in public life”.
Posting his resignation on Twitter, he wrote: “The Conservative and Union Party has always been the party of integrity and honour.
“I feel that standards in public life are of the utmost importance, and the events of the past few months have undermined the public trust in all of us.
“I have been grappling with these issues for some time and my conscience will not allow me to continue to support this administration.
“It is for that reason I must tender my resignation.”
Conservative MP Virginia Crosbie also quit her role as parliamentary private secretary at the Welsh Office, stating she “cannot continue to defend” the Prime Minister’s actions.
Posting her resignation on Facebook, the Ynys Mon MP wrote: “I am forced to say that the sheer number of allegations of impropriety and illegality -many of them centred around Downing St and your premiership- is simply making your position untenable.
“I am of the view that if you continue in office you risk irrevocably harming this government and the Conservative party and will hand the keys of Downing Street to the Labour Party unfit to govern.
“The inaccurate and contradictory statements over what you knew about the former Deputy Chief Whip’s conduct before you appointed him was the last straw. I cannot continue to defend your actions to my Ynys Môn constituents who are rightly very angry.
“I have no idea what is happening at Downing Street but it appears you are either badly advised or unable to change or reform the dysfunctional operation at the centre of the government you lead.”
