Former Government minister (and Miss UK finalist) is Reform's choice for mayor of Greater Lincolnshire

                                                       

Dame Andrea - soprano singing voice

A FORMER Conservative minister will be the Reform UK candidate in next year's election for a mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.

At a press conference this morning, the party's leader, Nigel Farage, confirmed that  Dame Andrea Jenkyns will be throwing her hat in the ring in the run-up to polling next May.

Dame Andrea (50) served first as a Government whip, then  as Minister for Skills between June and October 22, but she was replaced by Rishi Sunak after he took over from Liz Truss as Prime Minister.   

Between May 2015 and 2024, the Beverley-born politician  was MP for Morley and Outwood but failed to secure re-election in this year's General Election.

In her teenage years, she worked for a while at Greggs the Bakers and, more colourfully, was a beauty queen, reportedly reaching the final, one year, of the Miss UK pageant.

In her 30s, she home-studied for a degree in Economics from the Open University before going on to study International Relations at the University of Lincoln.

Subsequently, her knowledge of Lincolnshire widened when she served as ward member for Boston North West on Lincolnshire County Council.

A single mum (she was divorced from her MP husband Jack Lopresti earlier this year), she has a six-year-old son.

Dame Andrea is said to be a vegetarian and dog lover whose pets have been winners in dog shows.

Her interests include music and she has often been commended for her fine soprano singing.

Her home is in West Yorkshire, and it not known how familiar she is (so far) with North East Lincolnshire.