In her acceptance speech, she pledged that Reform will “reset Britain to its glorious past” and suggested that asylum seekers should be living in tents not hotels.
Observers suggest it is something the public can expect to see a lot more of now that Jenkyns, 50, has become the first Reform politician to hold real power.
But reacting to the victory, Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves said that people will now start to “take a closer look at Reform’s policies” rather than the party’s “hype”.
Born in Beverley, East Yorkshire, Jenkyns left school at 16 to work in a branch of Greggs bakery and didn’t enter politics until she reached her thirties, when she was first elected as a Tory councillor in Lincolnshire.
Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage campaigns with Greater Lincolnshire mayoral candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
A former music teacher and Miss UK contestant, Jenkyns has bounced back several times in her political career, including defeat to Ukip in 2013 and losing her seat in Morley and Outwood at the general election last year.
A stronger backer of Brexit and the former Prime Minister, Jenkyns began flirting with Reform last year before agreeing a deal with Nigel Farage to switch allegiances in November.
‘Most important Reform politician in the country’
“She’s the most important Reform politician in the country and that’s got big implications for Farage,” one insider told The i Paper.
Andrea Jenkyns speaks during the party’s local elections campaign launch at Utilita Arena Birmingham (Photo: Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters)“I think it’s risky – if the whole point is they want to make Nigel Farage Prime Minister, they have to make a success of something before.
“The danger is she will be everywhere. She’s naturally going to become a big figure.
“What Andrea says will become what they [Reform] think. “
As mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, her decisions will have to be signed off by Conservative leaders at North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire councils.
“We will need to see quite a significant shift from that bombastic campaign rhetoric to a more practical, delivery-focused approach,” he told The i Paper.
“It will be interesting to see if she can adapt to that.”
“There’s the standing up and being heard side, but there’s also the practical delivery side,” he added.
“Whether she’s standing up for their interests or wider party interests that might not actually benefit the area – that will be an interesting line for her to tread.”
What happens if rivals block her policies?
In the North of England, Labour’s group of mayors – including influential former Health Secretary Andy Burnham – have often presented a united front to Westminster.
The decision was made before Jenkyns’s victory because it was felt that Greater Lincolnshire – an authority with awkward geography – was not sufficiently aligned with northern objectives.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin takes a selfie at a meeting with Labour’s newly expanded team of mayors and the party leadership, including Sir Keir Starmer, in Wolverhampton (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)Insiders questioned whether Waltham is likely to want to help Jenkyns push through controversial policies.
She also promised to say “no to net zero madness” – claiming such policies are “crippling Lincolnshire’s economy”.
“If that was a route she goes down I think it would be challenging.
“So whether she can park some of that ideological opposition and act in the interest of the area, or whether she sees it as more of a national role standing up to the Government in Westminster – a lot will depend on how she approaches the role.”
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