Winston Mckenzie. Pic: Matthew Kirby

Winston McKenzie, UKIP candidate for Croydon North has dismissed claims he was sacked from the party, saying that he was “reshuffled.”

The UKIP candidate for Croydon North was replaced as the party’s Commonwealth spokesperson earlier this month by James Carver, MEP for the West Midlands.

McKenzie told EastLondonLines that his removal from the post was part of a “reshuffle” within UKIP.

He said: “The ‘Guv’nor’ [Farage] called about 10 days ago and said ‘Look Winston, we’ve got this guy in Brussels. I’m going to hold a reshuffle. We’re upgrading.’”

Mckenzie said that he was happy with Farage’s decision, but compared the role being taken from him as “like a scene out of the Godfather.”

He explained: “I was Fredo on the boat. I was killed off my post.”

Fredo is a fictional character that gets murdered on a boat in the novel and film franchise The Godfather.

McKenzie added that his removal as Commonwealth spokesperson was “best for the party” and that he will remain as a candidate for Croydon North in the general election.

“You don’t loose the post and then bring down the party,” he said, “The party has served me well, and I intend to do likewise.”

No other position changes have been announced by the party and UKIP did not comment on McKenzie’s claims.

Gawain Towler, Head of Press at UKIP, said: “Jim [James] Carver, as a full Member of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, was appointed to this role.”

“As UKIP grow we take this role more seriously, and as somebody who has been working with a variety of Commonwealth countries such as India, and Somaliland, in his position on the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee.”

In an interview earlier this month, McKenzie spoke to EastLondonLines about his political career.