Lynne Jones MP praises Respect's Salma Yaqoob

Respect Party candidates are often seen as being left-wing firebrands currying favour with Muslim communities. However, I detect something rather different, particularly in regard to Salma Yaqoob, the leader of the party. Yaqoob is a bright and thoughtful politician. In many respects she portrays a woman whose political theorising is based more on common sense than socialist rhetoric. She is standing in the new constituency of Hall Green which is nothing like the old Hall Green. This is mainly due to the Sparkbrook and Sparkhill areas being included. This will inevitably give Ms Yaqoob a sizeable chunk of support.

What has added a frisson of excitement is that Lynne Jones, the retiring MP for neighbouring Selly Oak has praised Salma Yaqoob saying she would "encourage tactical voting for the person who most shares my values". This is a snub for Roger Godsiff, who is the Labour candidate.

Both Tory and Liberal Democrat candidates think Ms Yaqoob has no chance. I think they may be wrong. In Salma Yaqoob the electors of Hall Green have the chance to vote for a woman who is capable of appealing to the current anti-politician sentiment. She is never likely to succumb to expense scandals or devious political opportunism. In some strange way there is something of the high Tory about her. I suspect she would flinch at such a suggestion. However, I do think her message may well appeal to conservative-minded people with a small "c" and their are plenty of them in Hall Green. Add to that the numbers of more liberally-minded, though unradical, types and she may do far better than her detractors suggest.

Jerry Evans, Liberal Democrat candidate in the constituency has said, "Lynne Jones appears to have got her maths wrong. She quite rightly says the Tories have no chance in Hall Green, but neither do Respect and Ms Yaqoob." Mr.Evans, maths has nothing much to do with this election. There will be more shock surprises that a seismic monitor could cope with. Old party allegiances are somewhere in the clouds. Everyone seems to be either a floating voter or a lethargic armchair critic. Forget the opinion polls - it's every candidate for his or herself against an enigmatic electorate.