Mamma Mia! Dame Andrea Jenkyns wins mayoral race in shimmering Abba-style trouser suit (and she's no stranger to belting out Swedish band's hits live on the radio)
Proper news from Britain - News from Britain you won’t find anywhere else. Not the tosh the big media force-feed you every day!
Dame Andrea Jenkyns has become Reform UK's first-ever elected mayor while channelling her inner Abba-style, shimmering across the stage in a blue sequined trouser suit.
The ex-Conservative minister, who turned Reform last year, promised a 'new dawn in British politics', vowing to the people of Greater Lincolnshire that Reform would 'reset Britain to its glorious past' as she secured her spot as mayor.
The former Greggs worker and Miss UK finalist now holds the power over an annual budget of £24million after zooming ahead of her Tory rival Rob Whiltham by around 40,000 votes - bagging the support of 104,133.
Immigration and efficiencies in local government, including a British DOGE for each council they control to slash town hall waste, were at the heart of Reform's campaign.
Elsewhere in North Tyneside, the party narrowly missed out on having a mayor, with Labour leading by a small marginal win of 444 amid the political earthquake as the local election results roll in.
In her winning speech, the newly elected mayor hit out at her opponents, vowed to put an end to 'soft touch Britain' while channelling the iconic Swedish quartet, in a striking 70s-esque outift.
'The fightback to save the heart and soul of our great country has now begun,' she said,' she said: 'Now that Reform is in a place of power, we can help start rebuilding Britain. Inch by inch, Reform will reset Britain to its glorious past.
'We will tackle illegal migration. We've been working on policies.
'I say no to putting people in hotels. Tents are good enough for France, they should be good enough for here in Britain.'
But those sitting at home, eagerly watching the results roll in were more taken by the Dame's striking outfit comparing her to ABBA, with one quipping: 'Fair play to Andrea Jenkyns. Winning the Mayoral election whilst being at ABBA Voyage.'
And the politician originally from West Yorkshire, is no stranger to the band's much-loved tunes, with the trained soprano belting out their Mamma Mia track live on Radio 5 in 2016.
She was challenged by the presenter after she had proposed a duet with Ed Balls, who she beat in May 2015, abruptly ending his ten-year career as an MP after hundreds of Labour voters witched allegiance in Morley and Outwood.
Her win comes only days after she declared herself 'a smear campaign survivor', after a complaint lodged alleging she wasn't entitled to stand in the running for mayor was dismissed.
She previously described the complaint to Lincolnshire Live, as 'vexatious' and 'politically motivated', as she affirmed her strong ties to the area, pointing out she had attended college and university in the area as well as having served as a councillor.
'I was born in Beverley and moved here when I was seven years old. I have lived in New Holland, East Halton and Healing, gone to Grimsby college and University of Lincoln, and been a councillor for Boston,' she said.
'I moved away in 2015 when I won the seat off Ed Balls. I have got a place I rent, but I have a son with special needs, and any parent wouldn't pull their child out of school until they know if they've won.'
She vowed to move to Greater Lincolnshire 'full time' if she won the mayoral seat, she bagged this morning.
Following her victory today, she told the crowd: 'I have fought many elections, four general elections, my third local election, but I'm going to be brief with this don't worry, I've never experienced such negativity and soul-destroying campaigns against me like this on
'It was soul-destroying. The dirty tricks in the US politics I now believe is being imported into Britain.'
Last year, the former beauty queen was plagued by internet trolls who questioned why she lived in separate house to her Conservative MP Jack Lopresti. By this time the pair had been divorced for two years.
Their relationship first emerged after Lucy Lopresti - Mr Lopresti's first wife - caught the pair cheating after pictures came to light of him kidding former beauty queen, Ms Jenkins, in Doncaster in 2015.
Photographs showed the happy couple enjoying a romantic moment on a bench as Ms Jenkyns put her hand on her - at the time - boyfriend's leg while waiting for a train.
The pair were later confronted and claimed to be 'just good friends' before the Tory party confirmed they are a couple, claiming the relationship only started in a few weeks prior.
The Tory party’s glamorous ‘lady in red’ first flashed a dazzling smile, then offered a handshake to her defeated opponent standing next to her – Ed Balls.
Labour’s fallen ‘big beast’ stood hands clasped across his belly and tried to put a brave face on a 422-vote defeat that abruptly ended his ten-year career as an MP. This was his ‘Portillo moment’ and he knew it.
Former beauty queen Andrea Jenkyns had persuaded hundreds of Labour voters to switch allegiance and make her the new MP for Morley and Outwood in West Yorkshire.
