Schoolchildren in Stoke on Trent have been left reeling by Jonathan Gullis’s decision not to return to the classroom after his short career as an MP came to an abrupt end at the General Election.
The former secondary school teacher was comfortably beaten by Labour’s David Williams in Stoke-on-Trent North on July 4th.
Williams took 40.3 per cent of the overall vote while Gullis took 26.3 per cent, down 27.8 points on the 2019 election.
Asked if he would return to his previous career after losing his seat, Gullis said he could be tempted by working in education in some capacity, but that he “doesn’t have the patience to return to the classroom”.
“I’d also like to help the Conservative party rebuild in whatever role may be available,” he added.
After being an MP since 2019, it would “take quite a lot of training to be classroom ready again,” said Mr Gullis, who had been hoping to have some more time to plan for his future.
He believes if the general election had been held off for a few months, and the party could have shown its policies in action, voters may have held a different view of the Conservatives.
They may have seen interest rates falling, the immigration policy working, and begun to see the impact of local levelling-up projects, he said.
Reactions to his comments have been quick to flood in on social media, with people sarcastically displaying sympathy for the poor schoolchildren in his constituency.
Others suggested a return to the classroom as a pupil might be more fitting for the ousted MP, who has had a colourful five years in Westminster.
Related: Unearthed footage shows Gullis mocking trust fund parents
