Shadow Minister and council leader back former Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman’s bid to become Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire
A few days after announcing his bid to become the first Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, Matt Warman has already gained support from one of the most senior Shadow Ministers and a local council leader.
MP for Louth and Horncastle, Victoria Atkins, and East Lindsey District Council leader, Craig Leyland, have both openly endorsed the former MP for Boston & Skegness in his campaign.
Mr Warman was the first to announce his intention to run for mayor after central government officially approved the devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire, which promises to bring an additional £24 million per year to the region.
He represented the Boston & Skegness constituency from 2015 until the July General Election when he lost his seat to Reform UK's Richard Tice, whose 15,520 votes bettered his opponent's 13,510.
Seeking the Conservative nomination for the mayoral post, Mr Warman stated he already had the backing of several MPs and councillors.
One of those supporters was Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Victoria Atkins, who said: "Matt has the skills, determination and experience to do this.
“He always stands up for our great county and was crucial in securing a brand new medical school, upgrading major road junctions and ensuring we invest more in flood defences."
"Matt has a track record of local delivery on the national stage. For this new role, it is essential that we have someone who knows how Westminster works - Matt will cut through the nonsense and stand up to Ministers and Whitehall.
“For national and local reasons, I would urge any Conservative Party member to join me and local councillors in backing Matt to be the Conservative candidate for Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.”
Coun Craig Leyland, leader of ELDC, agreed that "Matt has many good qualities that would see him do well in the role.
"He has got to be a strong advocate for Lincolnshire, and I think he could take on that role quite well."
Nevertheless, he stressed that, should Warman be successful, acting as Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire would be a "much bigger role" and "more important role" than being the MP for Boston & Skegness.
While Conservatives from East Lindsey are keen to back Mr Warman, others from further afield are eager to see who else intends to seek the Conservative nomination before pledging their support.
When asked if he felt the former MP would do well in the role, South Holland District Council leader Nick Worth simply responded: "I think I’ll be waiting to see who else puts their hat in the ring."
He added: "Whoever is mayor, we would like to hope they would support the whole county, not just the northern part."
Coun Tom Dyer, leader of the Conservative group on the City of Lincoln Council, shared his view, commenting: "I want to see who else is put before us before making my mind up."
