An ex-high-ranking Conservative member who previously criticized the caliber of Reform UK candidates has switched allegiance to Reform.
Jonathan Gullis has joined Nigel Farage’s party, despite a public dispute with Richard Tice, the second-in-command, where Tice was accused of issuing a veiled threat against him.
Gullis had previously derided Reform, claiming it was not merely a case of a few bad apples. In response, Tice, who was the leader at the time, retaliated on Twitter, insinuating possessing compromising information about Gullis.
The clash erupted last year when it was revealed that Reform candidates included a convicted animal abuser and a fortune-teller selling spells on OnlyFans.
In a column for the Mail on Sunday, Gullis questioned the vetting process of Reform candidates and criticized their suitability for public office if they were involved in such controversies.
However, Gullis has now shifted his stance, announcing his decision to join Reform UK in an interview with the Stoke Sentinel. He expressed his disillusionment with the Conservative Party after 18 years, citing issues like uncontrolled migration, a net zero agenda leading to increased energy bills, and jeopardizing jobs in Stoke-on-Trent’s ceramics industry.
Gullis emphasized that the Conservative Party had lost the trust of the British people due to its disconnect from the populace it aimed to represent.