Like the best James Bond film baddie you can’t keep Talib Hussain down for long – he keeps coming back time after time after time.

It is an area Mr Hussain has particular experience as, playing an assassin in the James Bond film Octopussy, he met a sticky end with a poisoned dart in the neck.

He then bounced back to end up chasing Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones through a maze of mine tunnels beneath the Temple of Doom before his cart smashed into a wall.

Well his political career followed the path of that out of control mine cart, hitting the heights of Birmingham City Council Cabinet in 2004-5 before being dumped by the electorate with a tally of just 268 votes in last year’s local elections.

He has found solace in the arms of David Cameron’s caring Conservatives and is leading their charge to wrestle the inner-city wards from the firm grip of Labour, Respect and Liberal Democrats.

And like the best double agent he brings inside knowledge having been a member of all three main parties at some stage.

His fledgling career with Labour was cut short when he failed to make their candidate lists. With the Liberal Democrats he was elevated to the lofty Cabinet position in charge of Local Services.

But that relationship turned sour with a motion of no confidence in him, and Hussain responded with accusations of racism and claimed colleagues had tried to force him to award grants to their political allies.

He turned to Respect for a brief love affair which fizzled out within a week. Homeless, he set up his own Community Independent Party, but lost his seat to a Respect rival.

Now the Bond baddie is back as Chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum. Talib’s close friend Raja Khan is the party’s candidate in next week’s Lozells and East Handsworth by-election.

How long will this match made in heaven last?

Raja, of course, upset Respect leader Salma Yaqoob by using a photo of her in his election leaflet. On Salma’s website is a picture of her posing with Liberal Democrat and Labour MPs John Hemming and Richard Burden. She clearly states it was a question time event and she is no way endorsed by either of them.

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No-one could accuse the new breed of Birmingham Tories of being elitist. Not when they’re Pot Noodle crazy. 

New-kid-on-the-block Peter Smallbone is a true man of the people. He confessed to Iron Angle that he absolutely loves the rehydrated snack in a pot.

So much does the Quinton councillor love the student favourite, he knows how many pots are sold in the UK every year: “120 million” or some other truly staggering figure.

That answers the question of what Coun Smallbone eats for tea during council meetings now he has shunned the official dinner.