A former Wycombe parliamentary candidate says he is “honoured” to have been selected as part of UKIP’s shadow cabinet.

David Meacock, who ran in the 2015 General Election to become Wycombe MP, is now UKIP’s culture and arts spokesman following a cabinet reshuffle by new party leader, Henry Bolton.

The Chalfont St Peter-based politician – who is also a music teacher and a former Bucks County and Chiltern District councillor – said he was thrilled with his appointment.

He said: “I feel honoured to have been invited by Henry to join his cabinet, and I am greatly looking forward to starting my role - in particular to being part of developing and announcing UKIP culture and arts policies in due course.”

The new UKIP leader – who took up post on September 29 – announced his reshuffled shadow cabinet on social media site Twitter on Wednesday.

Mr Meacock is joining the likes of Mike Hookem MEP – who was reported to have been involved in a fight with fellow UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe at the European Parliament in October – who is now assistant deputy leader.  

Following the announcement, the leader said the party has a “moral obligation to hold the government to account for taking us out of the European Union”.

He said: “Clear and decisive leadership is crucial and we shall deliver it. Together, my team and I will now commence the urgent work of projecting our party firmly and decisively into British politics with the purpose of securing our nation's interests through Brexit and beyond."