Andrea Jenkyns entered Parliament in 2015 after defeating the Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, in the constituency of Morley and Outwood. Her election was widely regarded as one of the most significant political upsets of the General Election and marked the beginning of a decade in national politics during one of the most turbulent periods in modern British history.

During her time in Parliament Andrea served through the Brexit years and the successive premierships of David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. Known for her forthright and independent voice, she never shied away from speaking her mind or challenging political orthodoxy when she believed it was necessary.

Andrea served as a Government Whip and later as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education and Apprenticeships. Throughout her ministerial career she championed the importance of education, opportunity and social mobility, drawing on her own experience of returning to education later in life.

Her outspoken style and Yorkshire directness often attracted national attention. She was among the first MPs to publicly call for Theresa May to resign during the Brexit impasse and later became the first MP to publicly submit a letter of no confidence in Rishi Sunak. Throughout her time in Westminster she built a reputation for political courage and independence.

In November 2024 Andrea left the Conservative Party and joined Nigel Farage and the Reform UK Party, believing the country required a new political direction. In May 2025 she was elected as the first Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, representing over 1.1 million residents across the county.

Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire
As Mayor, Andrea serves as the strategic leader and global ambassador for Greater Lincolnshire. Andrea is responsible for driving economic growth, skills, housing, strengthening infrastructure and promoting the county’s key industries, including agriculture, food production, defence and energy. Under the powers of devolution the mayoralty oversees significant investment designed to deliver long-term prosperity for the region. This includes a £131 million long-term transport settlement to improve connectivity and maintain roads across the county, alongside a £720 million investment fund to support economic development over the next thirty years.

Previous Government Roles

* Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education, and Apprenticeships
* Government Whip
* Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
* Chair of several All-Party Parliamentary Groups
* Former Vice-President of the Local Government Association
* Ministerial aide to Rishi Sunak, Dominic Raab and Robert Jenrick