Could my 33/1 Hammond for Chancellor bet be a winner? Back in April I suggested backing Philip Hammond for next chancellor at the then attractive odds of 33/1. My reasoning then, which is even more so now, has been the very high profile that Hammond seems to get when it comes to arguing the Tory case on the economy/tax/public spending etc. For generally when a party spokesman is put up it is Hammond who gets the call and not the…
John Redwood’s blog Why do they have seventeen weeks annual holiday? Somewhat to my surprise I find myself in total agreement with today’s blog entry by former Tory minister, John Redwood. In it he sets out just how little time MPs actually have to spend at Westminster because of the elongated holidays and the truncated working week. He writes: “My main job is to hold the government to account. It is to cross examine them over their policies, to request…
How else could he have got Labour to back his bid? Last night, in the aftermath of the commons election, the Indy writer, Steve Richards, talked in a TV interview about a private conversation that he’d had with Bercow just after the 2005 general election when the Buckingham MP revealed that his career objective was to become speaker. This has set me thinking. For how could a Tory, then in his early 40s, harbour such a dream when everything would…
Will the remaining votes split by their age groups? As we wait for the final result to be declared it strikes me that this is a generational battle – with Bercow picking up the younger age groups and Young the old one. And given that those who went out after round two were all above 60 I just wonder whether that gives a touch of hope to Young. I’m not betting on it though. Mike Smithson
How prices changed during the speeches The chart shows the changing prices on the leading speaker candidates as they were making their speeches. The winner was George Young follows by John Bercow. Widdy and Margaret Beckett were the losers. My view now is that Bercow might be stronger than I thought and I placed a 4/1 bet at Ladbrokes. ****Live Speaker betting prices**** Mike Smithson
The line-up for the first event was made by drawing lots. This is how it came out. Beckett Young Widdecombe Beith Bercow Shepherd Lord Cormack Haslehurst Dhanda Interestingly four of the first five in the betting will be on first. Quite whether this will be an advantage we will have to see. Certainly Dhanda, who’s proved himself to be an engaging communicator during the campaign, is on last. I wonder whether that might swing the odd vote and keep him…
Who do you think will be elected as Speaker? George Young Ann Widdecombe Richard Shepherd Michael Lord Alan Haselhurst Parmjit Dhanda Patrick Cormack Margaret Beckett John Bercow Alan Beith ****Speaker betting****
Might the final fence cause problems? This has to go down as one of the best contests, and best betting opportunities, we’ve had in British politics for a while. There are markets now on the number of rounds of voting that will be required, as well as for which candidate might be victorious. Betting links to support PB.com, as always, at the bottom of this article. I was trying to plot out the new election system this week, and the…