The Trades Union Congress performed a sublime slam dunk on the back of news that Jonathan Gullis has been unable to find work after being ousted as an MP
Speaking on Times Radio this week, the former MP for Stoke North, who was booted out after just one term in parliament, said he’s still looking for work some three months after the result was declared in July.
“It’s nearly three months now and I’m still without a job, right? And that’s scary. I’m a father of a four-year-old and a two-year-old. I’ve got a wife who’s extremely supportive.
“I was a teacher before and I’ve applied for a few jobs and sadly not even had an interview yet. So actually, I think the days when being an ex-MP was something that was wanted or desired is no longer I think we’re now seen as a problem. And so that’s a challenge.”
Asked by presenter Hugo Rifkind if he believed the fact he is a Tory “goes against you”, Gullis replied: “I’ll be perfectly frank with you. When I entered teaching it was always slightly more centre-left leaning but I always felt that it was fair.
“When I left the profession to enter parliament I felt that being a Conservative was something that was treated with disdain, and I do think there are a lot of schools that will see who I used to represent, and maybe my views which they may not like, and because of that – not because of what I can do as a teacher – but because of that I won’t even be given an interview.
“I think that’s a damning indictment on the profession that I do love and do care about. But sadly if you’re going to have too many activists in the classroom, which I do think we have at this time, then politics is going to sadly determine who’s allowed to work in that profession, which is not good for pupils [and] it’s not good for parents.
“They need teachers to be coming to deliver high quality education, not pursuing the very woke agenda that sadly has entrenched many of our education sectors.”
Responding to the news on social media, the Trades Union Congress posted: “The trade union movement will always stand up for workers facing unfair discrimination. This is not one of those times.”
They followed up with a tweet clarifying that they were, of course, being facetious.
“Goes without saying that we oppose all and any forms of unfair treatment at work.
“This was a tongue-in-cheek response to Jonathan Gullis’ accusation that classrooms are full of ‘woke’ activists. His faux outrage shouldn’t disguise the fact that he was part of a government that relentlessly attacked teachers and their right to strike. We wish him all the best in finding a new job.”
