Profile: Winston McKenzie

Interview: Winston McKenzie

Winston McKenzie is the only independent candidate to run for the London mayoralty, putting up the �10,000 deposit and getting together 330 backers without the aid of a party machine.

Mr McKenzie, the older brother of former boxing champion Duke McKenzie, was an amateur boxer himself who won international honours for England but had his career cut short by a detached retina aged just 23.

On his MySpace campaign page the Croydon-born candidate describes himself as a "writer, keep-fit instructor, educational motivator and modern-day philanthropist" whose most rewarding work has included working with under-achieving or excluded children on sports programmes and motivation classes.

Veritas split

Now 51, he's been trying to launch a political career.

He stood as an independent in the Brent East by-election in 2004 that saw Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather snatch what had been one of Labour's safest seats. Mr McKenzie came seventh with 197 votes.

They say it's impossible. They say it can't be done. The truth is, London will see it's first ever black mayor

Winston McKenzie

He also stood for Robert Kilroy-Silk's Veritas in Croydon North in the 2005 general election and again came seventh - this time with 324 votes.

After that he split with Veritas and joined the Conservatives when David Cameron was elected leader. He put himself forward to be the Conservatives' mayoral candidate but, after failing to be short listed, he decided to go it alone.

Among his pledges are to end the western extension of the congestion charge, and introduce a new timetable on the original - central - zone so it only operates from 6.30am to 10am and from 3pm to 6pm.

He has also pledged to be "ruthless" on gun and knife crime, to create more youth facilities and get more administrative staff to free police from paperwork.

He adds: "They say it's impossible. They say it can't be done. The truth is, London will see its first ever black mayor. The history books of politics shall be re-written."

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