Deputy Tory Party chairman Jonathan Gullis has been spotted campaigning with a convicted heroin dealer in pictures released by LBC.
The MP for Stoke on Trent North, who will be defending a 6,286 majority at the General Election, has been pictured sitting next to a notorious drugs kingpin in his home constituency, prompting allegations of hypocrisy from Labour.
Former trainee solicitor, Yasser Hussain, was jailed for eight years in 2006 after being found guilty of masterminding a drug gang in the potteries.
Police seized 4kg of heroin with an estimated street value of £400,000, with detective inspector Mark Abbotts, who led the investigation, saying at the time that Hussain was the head of the gang.
In the wake of the photo leak, Richard Holden, the Tory Party chair, told LBC’s Andrew Marr: “I’ve not had a chance to speak to Jonathan about it yet. I know what he’s said that he was just doing some visits in his local community.
“I have no idea about the nature of the relationship beyond that. Sometimes politicians…wherever I go on a campaign event, there’s somebody who I don’t know who wants to have a selfie with me.”
He continued: “I don’t know the exact nature of it.”
A photo of Mr Gullis sitting on a sofa beside Hussain was taken in December 2022.
Further photos show former teacher Mr Gullis, 34, who was made one of the deputy chairmen of the Tory Party after Lee Anderson defected to Reform earlier this year, celebrating a local council win with Mr Hussein in 2021, and attending events with other locals in the area.
He was also snapped celebrating Mr Gullis’ win in 2019 when he was first elected as a Red Wall MP in Stoke.
Mr Gullis previously described drug dealers and those committing anti-social behaviour in his area as “savages”, “scroats” and “scumbags” in a video filmed in his constituency.
A Labour source told LBC: “The gross hypocrisy of Sunak’s Party has once again been exposed, this time betraying the victims of these dangerous drug gangs.
“Whilst Labour has pledged to toughen up and extend closure powers for drug dens, Rishi Sunak’s own Deputy Chairman is welcoming a heroin dealer into his inner circle.”
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