Croydon's political bed-hopper Winston McKenzie is to stand in the London mayoral elections after joining his seventh party in 14 years.

The former Ukip candidate has joined the English Democrats less than two months after quitting Nigel Farage's party claiming he had suffered racial discrimination.

In a colourful political career, Mr McKenzie has also been a member of Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Veritas and the Conservatives and has stood in elections as independent.

He today declared himself an English nationalist after joining his seventh party, which campaigns for a devolved Parliament for England as a step towards full independence from the United Kingdom.

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Robin Tilbrook, chairman of the English Democrats, claimed Mr McKenzie's selection for May 2016 vote marked "a milestone in the re-emergence of England".

He said: "Winston is a great character and one of the most high profile Black English political figures of our day.

"His journey from the old national identity of British to the re-emerging national identity of English is very welcome as it shows that English national identity is now catching up fast with Scottish and Welsh national identity."

The English Democrats selected Mr McKenzie as its mayoral candidate on Saturday at a national council meeting in Bradford.

A statement from the party said: "It has been claimed for some time by Left-wing multiculturalists that Black people in England only identify with being British.

"Winston McKenzie’s declaration of his English national identity is a big step away from the remnants of Britishness in England and towards almost everyone in England identifying themselves as being English rather than British, just as the equivalent already happens in Scotland and Wales."

Mr Tilbrook added: "I think we will look back on this day as a milestone in the re-emergence of England and of what the English Democrats campaign for - England resuming its place amongst the nation states of the earth and to be able to become a modern, democratic, prosperous, independent European nation state respecting the uniqueness of all nations and in friendship with our European neighbours in a Europe of nations and of freedom."

Mr McKenzie this morning told the Croydon Guardian he was unable to speak about joining the party until an official announcement tomorrow.

He previously ran to be Mayor of London as an independent in 2008, when he finished last with 5,389 votes. 

In a political career high on headlines but so far low on electoral success, Mr McKenzie has also run four times for Parliament - for Ukip, as an independent and for Veritas, the now-defunct party founded by Robert Kilroy-Silk.

Most recently, he finished third in Croydon North in May's general election.
He has also stood to be a London Assembly member and twice to be Croydon councillor.

Last year, he infamously branded Croydon a "dump" two days before he ran as Ukip's council candidate in South Norwood.