Winston “the Chump from the Dump” McKenzie is out of the London Mayor election before it has even started.
The Croydon-based serial election loser was supposed to be standing for the far-right English Democrats (after having tried his luck, and failed, with most other political parties).
But tonight, London Elects, the agency which oversees elections for the London Assembly and Mayor, issued a press release stating that McKenzie had failed to complete his candidate’s paperwork before today’s deadline.
Despite recently being paid a reported five-figure sum for his short-lived, car-crash TV appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, McKenzie was attempting to crowdfund his £10,000 election deposit, plus another £50,000 towards his campaign. It is unclear why his new friends in the English Democrats were unable, or unwilling, to stump up the dosh for their candidate.
By tonight, McKenzie’s crowdfunding had managed to raise the grand total of… £140.
The deadline for the nomination process for candidates for London Mayor was at 4pm today. At 7.17pm this evening, London Elects issued its statement announcing that McKenzie had failed to comply with the registration process.
The statement says: “London Elects encouraged all prospective candidates to contact them within good time to discuss the process and to give advice on the paperwork required. This was made very clear to all who had shown an interest in the nominations process.
“The English Democrats prospective candidate for Mayor of London, Winston McKenzie, met with London Elects for the first time at 13.45 on March 31 2016. At that time, the paperwork was incomplete.
“Mr McKenzie was given the opportunity to resolve matters by the 4pm legal deadline.
“Mr McKenzie and his agent did not submit all the paperwork by the 4pm deadline. Upon inspection, the incomplete forms contained errors which would have invalidated the nomination – in the form of duplicate signatures from other candidates’ nomination papers.
“Electoral law is explicit and the rules must be applied in all cases,” they said.
Or in the sort of language that south London boxer Winston might understand: sling yer ‘ook.
Having quit UKIP last year accusing them of having racist members – who’d have guessed?! – and jumping feet-first to join the English Democrats, it is hard to see where McKenzie’s political ambitions will take him next. Especially as he seems incapable of filling in a form.
The full list of candidates for London Mayor is expected to be published tomorrow, when the list of parties and candidates who will stand to become the 11 London-wide Members of the London Assembly will also be announced.
The candidates standing for the 14 constituency member seats on the London Assembly are announced by the relevant Constituency. These names will be placed on the London Elects website shortly after they are announced.
The last day to register to vote in the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections is April 18.
- Still Croydon’s only independent news source, and based in the heart of the borough: 1.97 million page views 2013-2015
- Inside Croydon: Named among best regional media campaigns, 2014
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, a residents’ or business association or local event to publicise, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
“Mr McKenzie and his agent did not submit all the paperwork by the 4pm deadline. Upon inspection, the incomplete forms contained errors which would have invalidated the nomination – in the form of duplicate signatures from other candidates’ nomination papers”
I am just surprised he was able to complete the procedure to launch a crowd funding bid, but the smell of lucre does seem to concentrate his mind. Wonder if the poor souls who contributed the pittance will get it back?