Former Conservative MP dismissed from teaching post “because of his political opinions”

A former Conservative MP has said he was unable to find a job in teaching because of his political views.

Jonathan Gullis, who was a teacher before entering Parliament in 2019, said he believes he failed to get an interview for a teaching job because most teachers treat Conservatives with “disdain”.

Mr Gullis was elected MP for Stoke-on-Trent North in Boris Johnson’s 2019 landslide, but lost his seat in July.

Before joining the Commons, he worked as a teacher in several schools, including Fairfax Academy in Sutton Coldfield, north of Birmingham.

His experiences mirror those of defeated MPs and ministers in 1997, when the Conservatives lost to Sir Tony Blair’s party.

Life after Parliament

Mr Gullis told Times Radio: “It’s almost three months now and I’m still out of work, aren’t I? And it’s scary. I am the father of a four-year-old and a two-year-old. I have a wife who is very supportive of me.

“I used to be a teacher, I applied for several jobs and unfortunately I haven’t even had an interview yet. So actually, I think the days when being a former MP was something you wanted or desired are no more. I think we are now seen as a problem. And so that’s a challenge.

Asked if it was more of a problem that he was conservative, Mr. Gullis replied: “When I got into teaching it was always a little more left-of-center, but I I always thought it was right.

“When I left the profession to enter Parliament, I felt that being conservative was something that was treated with disdain, and I think there are many schools who will see who I represented, and may -be my opinions that they wouldn’t be able to know and because of that – not because of what I can do as a teacher – but because of that I won’t even get an interview.

“I think it’s a damning criticism of the profession that I love and care about, but unfortunately, if there are too many activists in the class, which I think we have right now, then politics will take over. unfortunately, determining who is authorized to practice this profession.

“It’s not good for the students, it’s not good for the parents, but it’s particularly bad for the students because they need teachers to come in to provide a high-quality education.” Not continuing the wide-awake agenda that has unfortunately anchored many of our education sectors.