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| Andrea Jenkyns: First Reform UK mayor has knack for bouncing back | Andrea Jenkyns: First Reform UK mayor has knack for bouncing back |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Dame Andrea Jenkyns has been elected as the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, giving the party she represents, Reform UK, its most powerful office to date. | Dame Andrea Jenkyns has been elected as the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, giving the party she represents, Reform UK, its most powerful office to date. |
| In her victory speech, she declared it was a "new dawn in British politics" and vowed Reform would "reset Britain to its glorious past". | In her victory speech, she declared it was a "new dawn in British politics" and vowed Reform would "reset Britain to its glorious past". |
| She beat the Conservative candidate by more than 40,000 votes, which will feel like like a personal vindication for the former Tory MP. | She beat the Conservative candidate by more than 40,000 votes, which will feel like like a personal vindication for the former Tory MP. |
| But she showed she had lost none of her talent for generating controversy when she walked out on a Sky News interview after being asked about her view that illegal migrants should be "put in tents" and criticisms of her Tory opponent's South African accent. | |
| A former Greggs worker and Miss UK finalist, Dame Andrea will now control an annual budget of £24m and hold powers over skills, transport and economic development in the region. | A former Greggs worker and Miss UK finalist, Dame Andrea will now control an annual budget of £24m and hold powers over skills, transport and economic development in the region. |
| The result marks a remarkable political comeback for an MP voted out less than a year ago in the general election. | The result marks a remarkable political comeback for an MP voted out less than a year ago in the general election. |
| But as Dame Andrea's meandering political career shows, she has form for bouncing back from crushing disappointments with attention-grabbing election wins. | But as Dame Andrea's meandering political career shows, she has form for bouncing back from crushing disappointments with attention-grabbing election wins. |
| Shock election triumph | Shock election triumph |
| It all started in 2009, when she won a seat on Lincolnshire County Council, narrowly defeating the far-right British National Party's candidate. | It all started in 2009, when she won a seat on Lincolnshire County Council, narrowly defeating the far-right British National Party's candidate. |
| The result did not stand for long though. She was forced to resign after it emerged her part-time job as a music tutor for a council-run music service made her ineligible to run as a candidate. | The result did not stand for long though. She was forced to resign after it emerged her part-time job as a music tutor for a council-run music service made her ineligible to run as a candidate. |
| A by-election was held and Jenkyns squeaked home by 16 votes, again ahead of the BNP. | A by-election was held and Jenkyns squeaked home by 16 votes, again ahead of the BNP. |
| Four years on, she lost her council seat to UKIP, a Eurosceptic party founded by Nigel Farage - Reform UK's leader and, ironically, now Dame Andrea's boss. | Four years on, she lost her council seat to UKIP, a Eurosceptic party founded by Nigel Farage - Reform UK's leader and, ironically, now Dame Andrea's boss. |
| Two years passed before her next comeback in 2015, when she burst onto the national scene with one of the biggest shocks of the general election that year. | Two years passed before her next comeback in 2015, when she burst onto the national scene with one of the biggest shocks of the general election that year. |
| She ousted shadow chancellor Ed Balls, winning the Morley and Outwood constituency by 422 votes and knocking a brick out of Labour's red wall. | She ousted shadow chancellor Ed Balls, winning the Morley and Outwood constituency by 422 votes and knocking a brick out of Labour's red wall. |
| Jenkyns - who worked at a Greggs bakery after leaving school at 16 - said she was "lost for words". | Jenkyns - who worked at a Greggs bakery after leaving school at 16 - said she was "lost for words". |
| In her campaign, she presented herself as a "strong Yorkshire lass" from humble beginnings. | In her campaign, she presented herself as a "strong Yorkshire lass" from humble beginnings. |
| Born in Humberside in 1974, Jenkyns went straight into a job after finishing school, working her way up from a Saturday shop assistant to senior management. | Born in Humberside in 1974, Jenkyns went straight into a job after finishing school, working her way up from a Saturday shop assistant to senior management. |
| An amateur opera singer and a vocal coach, she also worked as a music tutor in secondary schools. | An amateur opera singer and a vocal coach, she also worked as a music tutor in secondary schools. |
| When she hit her 30s, she decided to retrain and completed a diploma in economics from the Open University before graduating from the University of Lincoln aged 40 after studying international relations and politics. | When she hit her 30s, she decided to retrain and completed a diploma in economics from the Open University before graduating from the University of Lincoln aged 40 after studying international relations and politics. |
| Her father was a lorry driver with his own haulage business. | Her father was a lorry driver with his own haulage business. |
| He pushed her towards the limelight at an early age, entering her in the Miss UK beauty contest. | He pushed her towards the limelight at an early age, entering her in the Miss UK beauty contest. |
| "My dad sent my photo off without telling me and I ended up getting into the final," she told the Express newspaper. | "My dad sent my photo off without telling me and I ended up getting into the final," she told the Express newspaper. |
| "It was an interesting moment." | "It was an interesting moment." |
| Her father's death in 2011 - after he contracted the MRSA infection in hospital - spurred her to run for Parliament. | Her father's death in 2011 - after he contracted the MRSA infection in hospital - spurred her to run for Parliament. |
| Brexit backer | Brexit backer |
| As an MP, Jenkyns was a passionate Brexit backer and a strong critic of Theresa May's handling of the UK's departure from the EU when she was prime minister. | As an MP, Jenkyns was a passionate Brexit backer and a strong critic of Theresa May's handling of the UK's departure from the EU when she was prime minister. |
| In a striking intervention at Prime Minister's Questions, Jenkyns said May had "failed to deliver on her promises" and suggested she should resign. | In a striking intervention at Prime Minister's Questions, Jenkyns said May had "failed to deliver on her promises" and suggested she should resign. |
| Once May had stood aside, Jenkyns found favour with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who appointed her as an assistant government whip in 2021 and a junior education minister a year later. | Once May had stood aside, Jenkyns found favour with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who appointed her as an assistant government whip in 2021 and a junior education minister a year later. |
| A loyal ally, Jenkyns consistently defended Johnson, including during her appearance on the BBC's Have I Got News For You programme, when she described him as "one of our better prime ministers". | A loyal ally, Jenkyns consistently defended Johnson, including during her appearance on the BBC's Have I Got News For You programme, when she described him as "one of our better prime ministers". |
| When Johnson resigned in 2022, Jenkyns lost her composure outside Downing Street. | When Johnson resigned in 2022, Jenkyns lost her composure outside Downing Street. |
| She was filmed giving the middle finger to protesters shortly before Johnson's resignation. | She was filmed giving the middle finger to protesters shortly before Johnson's resignation. |
| A backlash followed and in her defence, Jenkyns said she was "only human" and had received "huge amounts of abuse from some of the people who were there over the years". | A backlash followed and in her defence, Jenkyns said she was "only human" and had received "huge amounts of abuse from some of the people who were there over the years". |
| "I responded and stood up for myself," she said. | "I responded and stood up for myself," she said. |
| She was made a dame in Johnson's resignation honours in 2023. | She was made a dame in Johnson's resignation honours in 2023. |
| Jenkyns retained her ministerial role under Liz Truss but was later dismissed by the following prime minister, Rishi Sunak. | Jenkyns retained her ministerial role under Liz Truss but was later dismissed by the following prime minister, Rishi Sunak. |
| She then failed to win re-election to the successor seat of Leeds South West and Morley at the 2024 general election. | She then failed to win re-election to the successor seat of Leeds South West and Morley at the 2024 general election. |
| Bouncing back with Reform | Bouncing back with Reform |
| Back in the political wilderness, Jenkyns began flirting with Reform UK last year. | Back in the political wilderness, Jenkyns began flirting with Reform UK last year. |
| Dame Andrea had made clear her sympathies with Nigel Farage's party, urging the Conservatives to unite with it to prevent a Labour "supermajority" at the general election. | Dame Andrea had made clear her sympathies with Nigel Farage's party, urging the Conservatives to unite with it to prevent a Labour "supermajority" at the general election. |
| Attending Reform UK's conference last autumn, Dame Andrea insisted she was "not defecting" but was keen to find out whether Farage's party was "the true home of conservatism". | Attending Reform UK's conference last autumn, Dame Andrea insisted she was "not defecting" but was keen to find out whether Farage's party was "the true home of conservatism". |
| Two months later, Jenkyns announced she was officially joining Reform UK and would stand as the party's candidate to be mayor of Greater Lincolnshire. | Two months later, Jenkyns announced she was officially joining Reform UK and would stand as the party's candidate to be mayor of Greater Lincolnshire. |
| Dame Andrea said she had "fought to the bitter end" but the Conservative Party was now "beyond salvage". | Dame Andrea said she had "fought to the bitter end" but the Conservative Party was now "beyond salvage". |
| Twelve years on from her defeat to Farage's former party in a local election in Lincolnshire, Jenkyns has delivered a significant electoral victory for her former foe. | Twelve years on from her defeat to Farage's former party in a local election in Lincolnshire, Jenkyns has delivered a significant electoral victory for her former foe. |
| Back in the county where it all began, the new mayor has once again proved her bouncebackability. | Back in the county where it all began, the new mayor has once again proved her bouncebackability. |
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