Reform mayor Andrea Jenkyns storms out of Sky News interview after spiky speech
New Reform mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns stormed out of a Sky News interview after being challenged over her decision to refer to a rival's accent in a spiky acceptance speech
New Reform UK mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns stormed out of a TV interview after igniting a racism row moments after her election win.
The divisive former Tory MP, pushed away a Sky News microphone after being challenged over remarks in a spiky acceptance speech. The mayor of Greater Lincolnshire was questioned after she hit out at a rival "with a South African accent" while moaning about "dirty tricks" by opponents.
Dame Andrea had moaned about allegations she was "parachuted in" - and mentioned that the complainant had a foreign accent. Asked why she had referred to this in a heated live TV exchange, Dame Andrea said: "Because the irony of saying someone's being parachuted in who's not even from the country."
She was then asked to clarify if she thought someone with an overseas accent could not be from the county. The Reform mayor cut the interview short, saying: "I think actually, I'm not even going to answer any more of your questions.
"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?"
It came after Dame Andrea complained about her opponents' conduct during the campaign. She was accused of breaking election rules by standing despite not living in the area - a complaint that was dismissed.
In her acceptance speech the Reform mayor said: "I've never experienced such negativity and soul destroying campaigns against me like this one.
"It was soul destroying. The dirty tricks in the US politics, I believe it's now being imported here into Britain. The Conservatives called the police on me and implied I slept with political friends.
"They contacted the mainstream media to smear me. The Independent's husband pushed for a hearing at the council. My barrister had to represent me. The case was dismissed."
And she chuckled as she referred to the rival's accent, saying: "The campaign was also filled with irony. As one of the candidates stated, I was parachuted in. She said, you know, in her South African accent.
"Now they, undemocratically try to remove me from the ballot, but I will say no more on this and I wish them all well."
Dame Andrea, who switched to Nigel Farage's party last year after being kicked out at the general election, won 104,133 votes. She comfortably beat the Tories, who came second with 64,585.
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