Where will they do best?

We have yet to really discuss on the site the impact that the Greens will have on this election. Although we think that there will be few takers for the new Skybet market offering 100/1 against the Greens winning a Parliamentary seat there is a lot of interest on where they will perform best on May 5 – particularly as they could become the “home” for disaffected Labour supporters.

For the Green watchers, the bookmaker has created an innovative new market, based on which of the four seats in which the Green Party polled best in 2001, they will record the highest percentage share of the vote on 5th May.

Sky Bet’s Political Consultant, Geoffrey Thomas, said, “The Green Party is expected to perform particularly well in a number of urban and ‘university’ seats, but without proportional representation winning a seat will be an uphill struggle. Brighton Pavilion has the best chance of achieving that aim, with Keith Tailor tipped to be Britain’s first ever Green MP.”

Seat in which the Greens will record the highest percentage of votes
Brighton Pavilion 4/9
Hackney North and Stoke Newington 5/1
Leeds West 5/1
Bradford West 6/1

Clearly the party has the potential to eat into possible Lib Dem support as well as Labour and at the margin, in a tight election, the Greens could have a major impact.

There are now getting on for 75 different on-line General Election markets. There is a round-up here.

Mike Smithson