Jonathan Gullis chosen by Reform to lead Newcastle Borough Council
Plus JCB targets land speed record, Stoke-on-Trent College opens Advanced Green Technology Centre, and UNHM among most-improved for NHS waiting lists…
Today, The Knot is brought to you by Hanley Economic Building Society, which offers mortgages, savings accounts including ISAs, insurance, and more
Election News & Good News 🎉
🗳️ Jonathan Gullis is Back. Elected to represent the Kidsgrove and Ravenscliffe ward on 7 May, Reform UK borough councillors have chosen Jonathan Gullis, the former Tory MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, as their leader. He will be officially nominated at the authority’s annual meeting next Wednesday, which will also announce the new cabinet members and their responsibilities. After the election, Reform UK has a majority of 27 seats, Conservatives have 15, and Labour 2.
🎸 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – Mike Lloyd 🎸
This week, it’s a posthumous award, following the news that a bust of Mike Lloyd has been unveiled outside the Victoria Hall to honour his contribution to Stoke-on-Trent’s cultural life following his sudden death last December at the age of 82. At the unveiling, Lord Mayor Cllr Steve Watkins said Mike brought music to the city for more than 60 years and left a lasting impact on musicians, music fans, and everyone who knew him. He added, “For many of us, Mike will always be remembered for his record stores – landmarks of our local musical culture. Almost everyone over the age of 45 has queued outside Mike Lloyd Music for tickets and new releases.”
💷 Save Big, Win A £10,000 Holiday! Dreaming of a gorgeous getaway? Hanley Economic Building Society has introduced its new Jet Set Saver account, with customers eligible to enter a prize draw for a holiday worth £10k. Designed to reward regular saving, the account offers one automatic entry into the draw for every £500 saved, with a maximum deposit limit of £300,000. The competition closes on 28/08/2026, so there’s still plenty of time to enter. More info here.
🏜️ JCB Targets Hydrogen Land Speed Record. The company’s Hydromax, a 32-foot car powered by hydrogen engines, hopes to set a new land speed record after it spent five years and £100 million developing hydrogen internal combustion engines. Twenty years after rewriting the record books with the JCB Dieselmax car, the company is returning to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to set a new land speed record. Driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, the JCB Dieselmax set a world diesel land speed record of 350.092 mph in August 2026 – a record that still stands. In August this year, Green will once again take the wheel at Bonneville SpeedWeek, the world’s leading land speed racing event, where competitors from around the globe will gather to chase records.
🏥 Stoke’s Waiting Lists Among the UK’s Most Improved. University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) has been named among the top five most improved NHS Trusts in England for reducing diagnostic waiting times. The latest national figures, which compare February 2025 with February 2026, show UHNM has cut the number of patients waiting more than six weeks for diagnostic tests such as scans and investigations. Figures also show continued improvement in planned care, with Referral to Treatment (RTT) performance rising from 57.75 per cent in November 2024 to 64.74 per cent in March 2026, above UHNM’s target of 63.4 per cent. The improvements mean around 8,000 fewer patients are now waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment across UHNM.
🌿Stoke-on-Trent College Opens Advanced Green Technology Centre. It opened the new £2.3 million Advanced Green Technology Centre last Friday at the College’s Burslem Campus, which features electric vehicle charging training bays, solar PV systems, heat pump technology, and external/internal wall insulation (EWI/IWI) training. The development will help build the retrofit and green technical skills needed across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire while creating clear progression routes into Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), engineering, and sustainable construction careers.
Students can now train for a sustainable career at Stoke-on-Trent College following the opening of the new advanced green tech centre last Friday
🥨 A word from Helen, editor/writer at The Knot
Following his defection from the Conservatives to Reform UK last December — and after serving six months as Mayor of Kidsgrove, a position he stepped down from in January — Jonathan Gullis has returned to the forefront of local politics and is set to take control of Newcastle Borough Council from Wednesday.
Through social media, Gullis has already outlined several priorities for the new administration, including holding rogue and absentee landlords to account, tackling anti-social behaviour, and working with local colleges and universities to create more skilled, well-paid jobs in the area. He has also pledged to continue campaigning for justice for residents affected by Walley’s Quarry.
During his time as MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, Gullis frequently courted controversy. He referred to some former constituents in Smallthorne, Cobridge and Tunstall as “scumbags”, “scrotes”, and “savages” respectively in relation to issues such as fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. A vocal supporter of the government’s Rwanda policy, he also stated in Parliament that he had “no problem at all” with asylum seekers being housed in tents.
He later clashed publicly with Gary Lineker on Channel 4 News, accusing the broadcaster of comparing Red Wall voters to Nazis and racist bigots.
How do you feel about Jonathan Gullis’ return to local politics? Let us know in the comments below.
Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week
🗳️ Reform Takes Control of Newcastle Borough: You were keen to see the list of newly elected councillors across the region; it’s here in case you missed it
🎖️ Two Staffs Companies Recognised in King’s Award for Enterprise: many Knotters checked out the fabulous bathroom and wall lights from winners Lynguard
🎼 Music from the Movies: Stoke-on-Trent Symphony Orchestra will play the scores from films including Indiana Jones and Psycho on 06/06 at Fenton Town Hall
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent): Weather’s good next Sunday!
Mon 🌧️ 13° (10°) Tue 🌩️ 16° (11°) Wed 🌦️ 18° (10°) Thu 🌦️ 22° (13°) Fri 🌦️ 24° (13°)
Sat 🌧️ 23° (11°) Sun ☀️ 22° (11°).
Sunrise 18/05: 05.06 ☀️ Sunset 18/05: 21.04 🌅