Dame Andrea Jenkyns, the recently elected mayor of Lincolnshire, has reasserted her commitment to move to the county following her election success in May. During her campaign, her eligibility was questioned due to uncertainty about her registration on the local electoral roll. At the time, Dame Andrea, who possessed a home in Yorkshire, was registered at a Lincolnshire address. Owing to the unsure nature of her election, she decided not to shift her son, who needs special care, from his present school.
The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority spokesperson has now shared that Dame Andrea’s son is attending school in Lincolnshire, and she is in the process of buying a house there. “She is eager to move here on a permanent basis once the house purchase is finalised,” the spokesperson revealed.
Representing Reform UK, Dame Andrea secured her position as mayor with an overwhelming majority of nearly 40,000 votes, thus becoming the first elected mayor of the region. As per the Electoral Commission guidelines, to stand for election, candidates must either live, work, or own property in the area, or be on the electoral roll, which includes owners of secondary homes.
In her early years, Dame Andrea, who studied at Grimsby College and the University of Lincoln, spent her life in Lincolnshire. A month before the election, her name was added to the electoral roll at an address in North Kesteven. In April, the validity of her candidacy was confirmed by the registration officer, recognising her Lincolnshire address as her primary residence.
A former Lincolnshire County Council member, Dame Andrea was elected as the Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood in 2015, before she switched allegiance to Reform UK the previous year.
The contents of this article were derived and adapted from original reporting by www.bbc.com by The Lincoln Post.
