THIS is the shocking moment Reform’s first ever mayor storms out of a Sky News interview.
Andrea Jenkyns pushed a journalist’s mic away as the heated scenes unfolded this morning.
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The former Conservative MP became Reform UK’s first mayor in Greater Lincolnshire.
The win comes as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK’s also scooped the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
Jenkyns had previously claimed she battled a “dirty” campaign run by her rival candidates.
She accused the Tories of calling the police on her and using the “mainstream media to smear me.”
“I’ve fought many elections – four general elections, my third local election – but I’ve never experienced such negativity and soul-destroying campaigns against me like this one. The dirty tricks in US politics, I believe, is now being imported here into Britain,” she said.
But a Sky News journalist asked her: “You said it was a dirty campaign, but you just used your speech to smear other candidates and to bring up all that dirty laundry. Do you think that’s appropriate?”
Jenkyns answered: “Well, I ask you, if the police were called on you for something unfounded, if you were reported to the council for something that was unfounded, wouldn’t you want to speak out about it?
“I’ve always been honest. I was honest about Conservative prime ministers when I was a Conservative. So I will always call out bad behaviour.”
The Sky reporter pressed: “All the candidates left halfway through your speech, they were so disgusted by what you said.
“I spoke to the Tory candidate, he left when you said, ‘Migrants should be put in tents, that’s good enough for France, that should be good enough for them too’. Do you think that’s a divisive way of conducting politics?”
The first ever Reform mayor hit back: “I think it’s what the majority and the silent majority think.”
However, the journalist kept quizzing Jenkyns, and asked: “That’s what you think of migrants? That’s where they [should be]?”
The mayor responded: “Well, illegal migrants, people who come here illegally, they should be put in tents.”
Their interview intensified as the reporter referred to comments Jenkyns had made over a rival candidate’s South African accent.
She asked: “One candidate said you were parachuted in, and you made a comment about her South African accent. What did you mean by that?”
Jenkyns replied: “What I meant is how can they say I’ve been parachuted in when I spent most of my life in Lincolnshire, school, college.
“Because the irony of saying someone has been parachuted in who’s not even from the country! I went to school, college, university-…
The reporter cut her off and grilled: “So someone who’s got an accent can’t be from this county?”
At this point Jenkyns lost her cool and put an end to the line of questioning.
“Oh, I think actually I’m not even going to answer any more of your questions,” she fumed.
“I think that your questioning is quite divisive, you’re looking into things when it was a little play with words, it was a little joke because of the irony. Do you not understand irony? I’m not answering your questions.”
The mayor pushed away the mic and had to take a few moments to collect herself before being able to talk to other journalists.
This comes as Reform UK racked up a stunning 79 new councillors and clinching an extraordinary by-election win by just six votes.
Nigel Farage’s party pulled off one of the closest parliamentary victories in British history in Runcorn and Helsby – a seat previously held by Labour with a whopping 35-point majority.
After a dramatic recount was called in the early hours of Friday, it was announced Reform’s Sarah Pochin had won 12,645 votes, while Labour’s Karen Shore won 12,639.
A jubilant Mr Farage said Reform was now “the opposition to the Labour Party”.
The shock victory came as Reform also scored a major breakthrough in local government, sweeping into councils across England.
They bagged seats from Kent to Northumberland, left the Tories humiliated in Lincolnshire, and even came within a whisker of taking control of Staffordshire County Council.
Meanwhile Labour barely clung on in key races – scraping narrow wins in Doncaster, North Tyneside, and the West of England, with Reform snapping at their heels in second place every time.
Reform has all the momentum
By RYAN SABEY, Deputy Political Editor
NIGEL Farage knew the importance of this week – winning the by-election and making ground in local polls up and down the country.
Politics – just like football – is a results based business and Reform will take that win in Runcorn even by six votes.
I was out on the road with Mr Farage this week and he told me this week was going to be a “big hurdle”.
If they didn’t win, many would speculate that the bubble may have burst for the Westminster insurgents.
They needed this win for momentum as it’s the ‘Big mo’ that means so much.
They are on the march picking up the Lincolnshire mayoralty and missing out narrowly in other places.
Labour have known that Farage is eating into their vote but the way they are attacking their heartlands will seriously worry party bosses this morning.
When he was drumming up votes in Runcorn yesterday, Nigel Farage said he wanted to smash the old two party system.
He didn’t say it lightly – and it looks like it could be on the cards. Who needs a pact with the Tories?
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