There are lies, damned lies and statistics.

Standing again: Winston McKenzie

So when do two people constitute “40 per cent”? When it is UKIP in Croydon trying (just a bit too hard, it seems) to portray itself as being “diverse”.

And when you factor in that the ubiquitous Winston McKenzie, the organiser of the chaotic “Croydon carnival”, is among the five UKIP members on a short-list for selection to stand as parliamentary candidate in Croydon South at next year’s General Election, you’ll realise it was probably not the toughest short-list to get on to.

It’s always worth another view…

McKenzie, most recently a parliamentary candidate for Nigel Farage’s party in Croydon North at the by-election in November 2012, may feel that leafy, suburban Croydon South is less of the “dump” which he declared the borough to be when he was standing at the local elections in May. On that occasion, 480 South Norwood residents voted for McKenzie.

Thing is, were UKIP to uncover a credible candidate, the Tory stronghold Croydon South might be the sort of place where they could mount a serious challenge. UKIP came second in five of the eight wards in the constituency in the recent local elections.

UKIP’s short-listed candidates for selection are:

• Ace Nnorom – a former Labour member who stood for UKIP in Woodside in May, polling 522 votes
• Kathleen Garner – stood in Croham in May (629 votes). The only candidate who actually lives in Croydon South
• Elizabeth Jones – was the third London MEP candidate, who stood for election in Lambeth in May
• Winston McKenzie
• Jeffrey Bolter – lives in Caterham and was UKIP’s previous parliamentary candidate in 2010, coming fourth with 4.4 per cent of the vote

“You will note that the list is remarkably diverse,” said Peter Staveley, the local UKIP chairman.

“40 per cent are women and 40 per cent are BME, and a good spread of ages from mid-30s to late-60s. Yet there has been absolutely no short-listing or any quotas to fulfil, unlike Labour.”

The UKIP selection will be made on July 12.

With absentee MP “Sir” Tricky Dicky Ottaway retiring (“We thought he’d retired years ago”), the Tories have parachuted in a party donor, Chris Philp, to inherit the 15,000 majority seat.

• For McKenzie’s political ambitions, the carnival is over
• Threat of UKIP sees Croydon’s Tories press the panic button
• “Bloomsday” in Croydon as McKenzie attacks UKIP colleagues
• UKIP’s solution on hot local issues? Hold a vote on them

Coming to Croydon

• Basically Johnny Moped at Stanley Tech, July 8
• David Lean Cinema: We Are The Best!, July 10
• Croydon Folk and Blues Festival, July 12
• David Lean Cinema: Half of a Yellow Sun, July 17
• David Lean Cinema: Pantani: Accidental Death of a Cyclist, July 21
• David Lean Cinema: Tracks, July 24
• Fragile, Spread Eagle Theatre, July 24-26
• CODA’s Midsummer Night’s Dream at Wandle Park, Jul 30-Aug 2
• David Lean Cinema: Locke, July 31
• Elm Tree Cottage garden open day, Aug 10
• Norwood Society Talk: War Memorials, Sep 18
• Norwood Society Talk: From Fire Station to Theatre, Oct 16
• Norwood Society Talk: Lambeth’s Archives, Nov 20

Inside Croydon: Croydon’s only independent news source, based in the heart of the borough: 407,847 page views (Jan-Jun 2014)

If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, a residents’ or business association or local event, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com