Tory MP points marketing campaign leaflet with distinguished snap of Nigel Farage

Tory Dame Andrea Jenkyns has issued a campaign leaflet with a prominent photo of her posing with Reform leader Nigel Farage, but no clear mention of the Conservative Party.

The MP for Morley and Outwood, who is fighting to be MP for Leeds South West and Morley under new constituency boundaries, has had her flyer branded ‘misleading’ by rival candidates.

Ms Jenkyns’ leaflet also contains no trace of Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who she has criticised in the past.

She defended the material, saying she was ‘a patriot’ who ‘transcends party politics’ and said the Conservative Party would need to work with other parties.

But voters in the constituency today said she should be clearer about which party she was canvassing for. 

The glossy A4 election leaflet features a picture of Ms Jenkyns alongside the slogan ‘your outspoken Yorkshire voice with a proven track record.’

And it goes onto detail Ms Jenkyns’ previous parliamentary ‘highlights’.

These include ‘securing £24.5m in levelling up funds’ for her former constituency and delivering food and prescriptions to locals during the pandemic.

But it does not make any clear and obvious references to the fact that the pro-Brexit politician is running to be re-elected as the area’s Conservative candidate.

Her Reform rival for the area, James Kendall, said locals who had received the material planned to report it to government watchdogs.

‘I think it’s disgusting that Andrea has used that and not put on the leaflet that it’s [from the] Conservative party,’ he said. ‘I think it’s misleading.

‘I think it’s disgusting to hide behind Nigel Farage to get the Reform voters to believe that she is for Reform.

‘Andrea Jenkyns had the opportunity six months ago to join Reform UK and personally, I’ve always been stood in the background wondering when she was going to stand for Reform.

‘I’ve had many an email off people and WhatsApps, because I’m quite close to a lot of people in the constituency, and they’re all quite disgusted, and a lot of people in the constituency have said they’re going to report it to the electoral commission.

‘They are not happy about it, they just feel they are being misled. A lot of these people were Andrea Jenkyns’ supporters.’

Ms Jenkyns was elected three times as the MP for Morley and Outwood – which has ceased to exist following boundary changes.

She ousted Ed Balls in 2015 with a majority of less than 500 and held onto the seat in 2019 with a 9,000 majority.

But support for the Tories in the ‘Red Wall’ has crumbled and Ms Jenkyns herself has previously called for Mr Sunak to be replaced as leader before the general election.

Last week she sparked fury by defying party bosses to accept a donation of £5,000 from the donor behind Laurence Fox’s Reclaim party.

Speaking near Ms Jenkyns’ constituency office in Morley – which does advertise her political affiliation – today, voter Toni Briens, 58, said: ‘I would say she shouldn’t use it, as I should think that falls outside the political protocol and canvassing guidelines.

‘But because I’m going to vote Reform and she’s got Nigel Farage on the leaflet, I would say it’s good because any publicity for him is good for Reform.

‘It’s probably a bit lacking in judgement to use it on her behalf. She’s clearly aware of the threat of Reform.

‘I wouldn’t say she’s trying to hide the party, but I think she’s trying to move herself away from them.

‘I think she’s hedging her bets because there might possibly be some maneuvering towards a coalition in the future.’

Ms Jenkyns his headlines in November when she broke rank and handed in a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister to the 1922 Committee over his dismissal of former home secretary Suella Braverman.

A spokesperson for the MP said: ‘Andrea is above all, a patriot.

‘She fought for Brexit alongside politicians from all parties including Labour and Reform and is proud of being able to transcend party politics and put the country first.

‘She finds it regrettable that party leaders have not been able to see the bigger picture in uniting the right to stop a socialist supermajority.

‘After the election, Conservative MPs will need to work with a wider conservative movement to achieve their goals and Andrea is one of the best-placed genuine conservatives in her party to help facilitate this.

‘For the avoidance of any doubt, Andrea is a lifelong conservative and is standing for the Conservative Party in the forthcoming election.

‘She is committed to promoting low-tax, common-sense conservatism.’