Jobless Jonathan Gullis struggles to find work after election loss - and gives one key reason
Former Stoke-on-Trent North MP Jonathan Gullis has blamed his struggles to find teaching work since leaving politics on being a Tory.
The outspoken 34-year-old believes he has not found a new job since losing his seat in July's election because he used to represent the Conservative Party. The dad-of-two, one of the most high profile 'Red Wall' Tory MPs over the last five years, had previously worked in education before standing for election in 2019.
But the ex-Conservative Party Deputy Chairman suggested there were 'too many activists in the classroom' which was stopping him getting any interviews in schools - and said the education profession treats Tories 'with disdain'.
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He said the days when being an ex-MP was something that was 'wanted or desired are no longer' and said former politicians are now seen 'as a problem'. And he said the 'woke agenda', that he claimed has entrenched many in the education sectors, was determining who is allowed to work in schools.
Speaking to Times Radio at the Tory party conference, Mr Gullis, who worked in schools from 2012 to 2019, said: "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, it's not good for parents, but particularly pupils because 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."
He added: "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."