Ex-Tory MP named council's new Reform group leader

Former Conservative party deputy chair Jonathan Gullis has been selected as Reform UK's group leader at a local authority in Staffordshire.

Gullis, who defected to Reform at the end of last year, was chosen by local party members in Newcastle-under-Lyme at a meeting on Thursday.

It means the ex-MP is likely to become the next leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, following a vote during a full council meeting next Wednesday.

Reform is now the controlling group on the authority, having won 27 seats at the recent local elections, with the Conservatives down to 15 and Labour holding onto just two.

At the members' meeting, councillor Graham Shaw was elected deputy group leader and councillor Olivia Wozny named as group secretary, with announcements regarding the cabinet set to be made in the coming days.

Before going to the polls last week, the Conservatives had 26 seats, with Labour on 17 and Reform had one.

The parties needed to win 23 seats or more for an overall majority.

During his time in Parliament as Stoke-on-Trent North MP, Gullis served as minister for school standards and was later appointed as deputy Tory chair.

He was elected to the Commons in 2019, but lost his seat to Labour's David Williams in the 2024 general election.

Gullis's move to join Reform in December came a month after that of Daniel Jellyman, who was previously the Conservative group leader on Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Gullis is now the borough councillor for Kidsgrove and Ravenscliffe, having also served as mayor of Kidsgrove Town Council, from May 2025 until January this year.

"I am grateful to my colleagues for placing their trust in me to lead the Reform UK group on Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council," he said.

"The people of Newcastle-under-Lyme voted for change, and we understand the responsibility they have placed on our shoulders."

Gullis said the group was determined to repay trust by delivering ideas that "restore pride in our communities".

"That means improving our parks so families have safe and enjoyable spaces to use, investing in our high streets, holding rogue and absent landlords to account, using every legal power available to tackle anti-social behaviour, and working with our local colleges and universities to help create skilled, well-paid jobs locally," he explained.

"We will also continue to fight tirelessly for justice over Walleys Quarry, which has caused misery for residents across our borough."

The local elections this year took place with the shadow of local government reorganisation looming over Staffordshire.

All 10 city, county, district and borough councils in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are due to be abolished and replaced with new unitary authorities.

The government is expected to make a decision on the new model this summer, with the unitary councils taking over in 2028.

This would mean Newcastle's newly-elected borough councillors would only serve half of their four-year terms before the authority was abolished.

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