Andrea Jenkyns 'committed' to Lincolnshire move

Dame Andrea Jenkyns was elected mayor of Greater Lincolnshire in May

Lincolnshire mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns says she remains committed to moving to the county following her election victory in May.

During the campaign, a challenge was made by a rival candidate questioning whether Dame Andrea was registered on the local electoral roll – one of the criteria for standing.

At the time, Dame Andrea, who had a home in Yorkshire but was registered at an address in Lincolnshire, said she did not want to take her son, who has special needs, out of school until she knew if she had won.

A spokesperson for the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority has now confirmed Dame Andrea's son has moved to a Lincolnshire school and she is in the process of buying a house.

"She is committed to living here full-time once the house purchase is complete," the spokesperson added.

Dame Andrea, the Reform UK candidate, won the contest with a majority of just under 40,000 to become the region's first elected mayor.

Guidance issued by the Electoral Commission, states that in order to be allowed to stand, candidates need to live or work in the area, own or rent land or property there, or be on the electoral roll.

It can include second homes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Dame Andrea, who originally moved to Lincolnshire when she was seven and went on to study at Grimsby College and the University of Lincoln, was added to the electoral roll from an address in North Kesteven a month before the election.

However, in April, the registration officer found she was entitled to stand and was using her Lincolnshire address as her primary residence.

Dame Andrea was a member of Lincolnshire County Council before she became the Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood, in West Yorkshire, in 2015.

She defected to Reform UK last year.

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