There aren’t many politicians who swap a safe Commons seat for a beauty pageant finalist slot, a part-time singing career, and a self-professed insomnia habit — but Andrea Jenkyns has never been one for the conventional script. From Conservative whip to Reform UK’s first elected mayor, her path through British politics has been anything but predictable.
Born: 16 June 1974 ·
Former Role: Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood (2015–2024) ·
Current Role: Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire (since May 2025) ·
Political Party: Reform UK ·
Title: Dame Andrea Marie Jenkyns
Quick snapshot
- Exact net worth figure remains undisclosed
- Specific medical details behind her insomnia claim
- Whether she will stand for re-election as mayor in 2029
- Lost parliamentary seat in 2024 general election (Public Sector Executive)
- Elected mayor within 12 months of leaving Parliament (Public Sector Executive)
- Walked out of a meeting in June 2026 over the murder of Henry Nowak (Public Sector Executive)
- Overseeing a £24 million mayoral budget (BBC News)
- Focus on skills development and transport in Lincolnshire (BBC News)
- Possible bid for re-election in 2029 (BBC News)
Six key facts in her professional profile reveal a pattern: a career built on rapid pivots rather than slow climbs.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dame Andrea Marie Jenkyns |
| Date of Birth | 16 June 1974 |
| Political Party | Reform UK (formerly Conservative) |
| Former Constituency | Morley and Outwood |
| Current Office | Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire |
| Title | Dame |
What is Andrea Jenkyns’s net worth?
Andrea Jenkyns does not publicly disclose a detailed net worth figure. The most reliable baseline comes from her parliamentary salary: as an MP she received £81,932 per year in the 2023–24 session (IPSA).
Estimated net worth from parliamentary salary and allowances
- Parliamentary salary of £81,932 per year (2023–24)
- Additional ministerial pay during brief stint as Minister for Skills (8 July 2022 – 27 October 2022) (GOV.UK)
- No publicly listed company directorships or property holdings
Earnings as a minister and whip
- Received ministerial salary supplement during two short stints in 2022
- Also served as a government whip before ministerial appointment
Any known business or property interests
- No significant external business interests listed on her parliamentary register of interests
- Previously worked in retail management for eighteen years before entering politics (Official personal website)
For a nine-year MP and former minister, Jenkyns’s financial footprint is notably small — no corporate roles, no major property portfolio. Her net worth likely tracks closely to her parliamentary earnings alone.
The implication: without outside business income, her wealth remains tied to what the public purse provided.
Why is Andrea Jenkyns associated with Reform UK?
Andrea Jenkyns left the Conservative Party in November 2024, becoming Reform UK’s 100,000th member according to coverage of her switch (Yahoo News UK).
Defection from the Conservative Party
- Left the Conservatives after losing her parliamentary seat in the July 2024 general election
- Joined Reform UK in November 2024
- Her defection was seen as a high-profile coup for Richard Tice’s party
Role in Reform UK
- Immediately announced candidacy for the 2025 Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election
- Won the contest with 42.0% of the vote, ahead of the Conservatives at 26.1% (Yahoo News UK)
- Became Reform UK’s first elected mayor
Election as Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire under Reform UK
- Elected in May 2025
- First person to hold the newly created role of Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire (Wikipedia)
- Oversees a £24 million annual budget (BBC News)
Jenkyns’s defection wasn’t just a party switch — it gave Reform UK its first elected regional leader and a visible platform to prove it can govern, not just protest.
What happened to Andrea Jenkyns after Parliament?
Andrea Jenkyns lost her Morley and Outwood seat in the July 2024 general election, ending a nine-year parliamentary career. What followed was a remarkably quick political reinvention.
Defeat in the 2024 general election
- Lost her seat in the 2024 general election (Public Sector Executive)
- Conservative majority — which she had defended as a whip — was wiped out nationally
Move to Reform UK
- Joined Reform UK in November 2024, four months after losing her seat
- Announced candidacy for Greater Lincolnshire mayor within weeks
Election as mayor
- Won the mayoral election in May 2025
- Her mayoral role covers skills development, transportation, and economic growth in Greater Lincolnshire (BBC News)
- Won by a margin of nearly 16 percentage points over the Conservative candidate
Controversy over residency and meeting walkout
- In June 2026, Jenkyns walked out of a meeting discussing the murder of Henry Nowak
- Previous controversy over where she actually resides — reports suggested she hadn’t moved to Lincolnshire immediately after election
Jenkyns went from losing a seat to winning a mayoralty in under 12 months — one of the fastest political comebacks in recent British politics.
Did Andrea Jenkyns compete in the Miss UK final?
Yes — Andrea Jenkyns was a finalist in the Miss UK beauty pageant in the 1990s, a fact she has referenced in interviews and that is frequently cited in her biography.
Beauty pageant participation
- Finalist in Miss UK in the 1990s (BBC News)
- Competed while working in retail management
- Has described the experience as a formative one
Details of Miss UK final appearance
- Exact year of her finalist appearance is not publicly recorded
- Frequently mentioned in media profiles as an unusual pre-political career detail
Subsequent career shift to politics
- Moved from pageant to retail management (18 years), then to politics
- Earned degrees from the Open University and the University of Lincoln (Politics.co.uk)
- Entered Parliament in 2015 at age 41
The Miss UK finalist turned Conservative whip turned Reform mayor shows a politician unusually willing to cross not just party lines, but entire career categories.
Is Andrea Jenkyns known for insomnia or singing?
Jenkyns has openly described herself as an insomniac and has posted singing videos on social media — two personal quirks that have drawn media attention well beyond her political work.
Claims of insomnia
- Has described herself as an insomniac in interviews and social media posts
- Attributed her late-night social media activity to sleeplessness
- Specific medical details not disclosed
Singing videos and public performances
- Described by Politics.co.uk as an accomplished soprano singer (Politics.co.uk)
- Has a long-held passion for music and the arts (Official personal website)
- Social media videos show her singing covers and original material
Public perception and media coverage
- Covered by tabloids and online media as part of a “quirky” persona
- Seen by some as humanising a politician in an era of polished media training
- By others, as a distraction from her political record
“I’ve always been a night owl — my brain just doesn’t switch off. I’ve been known to send emails at 3am.”
— Andrea Jenkyns, in an interview quoted by Politics.co.uk
These personal traits aren’t just tabloid fodder — they’ve become part of her political brand, making her more recognisable to voters than many mayors with far longer CVs.
Timeline
Born on 16 June 1974 in Beverley, Humberside, England
Finalist in Miss UK beauty pageant
Elected Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood on 7 May 2015 (GOV.UK)
Lost parliamentary seat in July general election; left Conservative Party in November
Elected Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire as Reform UK candidate (BBC News)
Walked out of a meeting over discussion of Henry Nowak murder
Related reading: **Nick Candy** · **Imran Khan**
en.wikipedia.org, cityreporter.co.uk, nationalworld.com, desmog.com, id.wikipedia.org
Frequently asked questions
What is Andrea Jenkyns’s full name?
Her full name is Dame Andrea Marie Jenkyns.
When was Andrea Jenkyns born?
She was born on 16 June 1974.
What party does Andrea Jenkyns belong to now?
She belongs to Reform UK, having left the Conservative Party in November 2024.
How long was Andrea Jenkyns an MP?
She served as Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood from May 2015 to July 2024 — approximately nine years.
What is the role of the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire?
The mayor oversees skills development, transportation, and economic growth in Greater Lincolnshire, with an annual budget of £24 million (BBC News).
Did Andrea Jenkyns ever hold a ministerial position?
Yes, she served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Skills) from 8 July 2022 to 27 October 2022 (GOV.UK).
Is Andrea Jenkyns married?
Yes, she is married with children.
What is Andrea Jenkyns’s educational background?
She holds degrees from the Open University and the University of Lincoln (Politics.co.uk).
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Jonathan Ellery is Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher at Press Hive, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and the corrections process.