Croydon By-election: Can Jasper do the impossible?

With virtually no money and a small team of activists, Respect candidate Lee Jasper has gone from rank outsider to second favourite in a matter of weeks.

The Voice newspaper reported this week that Jaspers bid to become a south London MP moved up a notch yesterday (Nov 21) after bookies moved the Respect party candidate to second favourite behind Labour.

The by-election was called following the death of MP Malcolm Wicks earlier this year.

Most people assumed that the race would be between the Labour candidate Steve Reed and Conservative candidate Andrew Stranack.

But now Ladbrokes and William Hill firmly put Jasper in second place.

Reed and Jasper clashed during Tuesday night’s (Nov 20) hustings in Thornton Heath, south London. The pair were embroiled in heated exchanges over Reed's record as Lambeth council leader.

Other candidates standing include Shasha Khan, nicknamed Croydon's 'Green Knight' for his community work and former Islington councillor Marisha Ray, standing for the Liberal Democrat, and former boxer Winston Mckenzie standing for UKIP.

In last week of electioneering for the by-election, OBV will hope to interview the main candidates.

Simon Woolley