Final list of contenders released as race to become first Greater Lincolnshire Mayor begins

Six candidates are in the race to become the first mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.

Residents from Grantham to Grimsby and Spalding to Scunthorpe will have the opportunity to vote when polls open on May 1, the same day as Lincolnshire County Council elections.

The elected mayor will lead the newly established Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, which controls a £24 million annual investment fund and holds powers over economic development, skills, transport, and planning, as well as acting as a direct link to Westminster.

Mayoral elections such as this one reportedly require a £5,000 deposit for candidates to appear on the ballot paper, with additional fees for inclusion in the official election booklet.

Nominations officially closed yesterday (April 2).

The candidates, listed by surname alphabetically, are:

Sally Anne Horscroft – Green Party

Andrea Marie Jenkyns – Reform UK

Marianne Jane Overton – Lincolnshire Independent

Jason Stockwood – Labour & Co-operative Party

Rob Waltham – Conservative Party

Trevor Young – Liberal Democrats

The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) held its first meeting on Thursday, March 6, at Lincoln Cathedral's Chapter House, bringing together leaders from Lincolnshire County Council, North Lincolnshire Council, and North East Lincolnshire Council after nearly a decade of negotiations. The mayor will be the figurehead at the helm of the new authority.

The new body was created after the government formally approved the devolution deal in September, despite a delay caused by July's General Election.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service is preparing a series of profile pieces on all the candidates ahead of when polls open.