Andrea Jenkyns: Age, Career, and Reform UK Mayoral Victory

If you’ve followed British politics over the last decade, Andrea Jenkyns has probably crossed your path at some dramatic moment. The former Conservative MP who defeated Ed Balls in 2015, served as a minister, and eventually left her party to become Reform UK’s first directly elected mayor now leads the Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority.

Full Name: Dame Andrea Marie Jenkyns ·
Date of Birth: 16 June 1974 ·
Political Party: Reform UK (formerly Conservative) ·
Current Position: Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire (since May 2025) ·
Former Role: MP for Morley and Outwood (2015–2024)

Seven key facts give an overview of the person behind the pivot.

The table above distills the core biographical data — age, party switch, and the rapid ascent from MP to mayor.

Is Andrea Jenkyns married?

Despite a long public career, Jenkyns has never confirmed a spouse or partner in official biographies. Her personal website describes her simply as a “proud mummy” and makes no mention of a husband or partner (Dame Andrea Jenkyns official site). The same is true on her Wikipedia page, where the personal life section is largely empty.

Some online speculation suggests she may be single or separated, but no reliable source has confirmed either way. Her son, born around 2007, is the only family member she refers to publicly.

How old is Andrea Jenkyns?

Andrea Jenkyns was born on 16 June 1974, which made her 50 years old when she took office as mayor in May 2025 (Wikipedia biography). She was raised in Lincolnshire and attended a local comprehensive school before studying law at the University of Leeds.

Age was not a major factor in her election campaign, but her relatively young profile — especially compared to the average age of directly elected mayors — was noted by some commentators as a mark of Reform UK’s attempt to attract voters outside its older demographic base.

When did Andrea Jenkyns become Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire?

Jenkyns won the inaugural Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election on 1 May 2025 as the Reform UK candidate, securing 42.03% of the vote (104,133 votes) and a majority of more than 40,000 (BBC News report, ITV News report). She was formally sworn in on 6 May 2025 (BBC News report).

The post itself was created only in 2025, part of the government’s push for combined authority mayors in non-metropolitan areas (Institute for Government explainer). As the first holder, Jenkyns will shape the role from scratch — setting priorities, appointing staff, and building relationships with the region’s seven local councils.

What is Andrea Jenkyns’s political career?

Jenkyns began in local government on Lincolnshire County Council in 2009 (BBC News profile). She entered Parliament at the 2015 general election, defeating Labour’s Ed Balls in the Morley and Outwood constituency — one of the shock results of that night (Dame Andrea Jenkyns official site). She served as a government whip and later as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education and Apprenticeships (Dame Andrea Jenkyns official site).

After a decade as an MP, she left the House of Commons on 30 May 2024 (BBC News profile). Within months she had left the Conservative Party and joined Reform UK, announcing her decision on 28 November 2024 (Wikipedia biography).

Her career trajectory — from local councillor to MP, minister, then Reform UK mayor — is unusual but not unprecedented. ITV News summarised it as “from Greggs to Grimsby town hall”, noting her earlier job at the bakery chain (ITV News profile).

What party does Andrea Jenkyns belong to?

As of 2025, Jenkyns is a member of Reform UK, having formally joined in November 2024 (Dame Andrea Jenkyns official site). She was previously a Conservative MP from 2015 to 2024, during which she held ministerial office and was knighted as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2024 New Year Honours for public and political service.

Her defection was one of the highest-profile moves to Reform UK, and she has since described the mayoral victory as “a new dawn” under Nigel Farage’s leadership (LBC exclusive). The switch also made her a target for criticism from former Conservative colleagues, though LBC reported that some have privately reached out to her about following the same path (LBC exclusive).

Timeline

• 16 June 1974 – Andrea Jenkyns born.
• 2009 – Elected to Lincolnshire County Council (BBC News profile).
• 7 May 2015 – Elected Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood.
• 2018 – Appointed government whip and later minister for skills and apprenticeships (Dame Andrea Jenkyns official site).
• 30 May 2024 – Leaves the House of Commons (BBC News profile).
• 28 November 2024 – Announces departure from the Conservative Party and intention to stand for Reform UK in the mayoral election (Wikipedia biography).
• 1 May 2025 – Elected first Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire (Institute for Government explainer).
• 6 May 2025 – Sworn in as mayor (BBC News report).

What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Quotes from the campaign and beyond

Mummy, Mayor, Former MP & Minister, Soprano & Voice of the Shires.

Andrea Jenkyns’s official website description (Dame Andrea Jenkyns)

It’s a new dawn under Nigel Farage.

Andrea Jenkyns, on the Reform UK mayoral win (LBC)

Climate change does not exist.

Andrea Jenkyns, July 2025 (Evening Standard)

She is a fascinating figure who has completely reinvented her political identity in under a year.

Political commentator Tim Bale, speaking to the BBC

For Reform UK, Jenkyns’s victory in Greater Lincolnshire demonstrates that the party can translate anti-establishment sentiment into real electoral power — but managing a £24 million budget and a diverse region will test whether that support can survive the scrutiny of office. The trade-off for Reform is clear: either Jenkyns becomes a credible administrative face for the party, or her tenure becomes a cautionary tale for any insurgent movement that wins before it is ready to govern.

Related reading: Gary Stevenson: Biography, Net Worth, Criticisms, and Politics · Peter Mandelson: What Happened to the ‘Prince of Darkness’

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