Is this how Scotland becomes a general election issue?

Is this how Scotland becomes a general election issue?

How’s Gordon going to deal with challenges like these? Whenever it’s suggested that the West Lothian Question or Scottish devolution could become an election issue and a problem for Brown people point to polls that show most voters don’t regard Scottish governmental arrangements as being very important to them. Certainly that’s true of the theoretical constitutional issues but what about the consequence of having different levels of public services north and south of the border? Two stories in this morning’s…

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Did anybody get on this certainty?

Did anybody get on this certainty?

Sadly it has been wirthdrawn (I wonder why?) I’ve just noticed this amazing bet from Ladbrokes on the Bestbetting odds search engine. A price of 5/2 against Gordon become PM during 2007 seemed to good to be true – and it was! But did anybody manage to get a bet on? It would be great if someone did. Mike Smithson

Labour getting closer on the Commons spread markets

Labour getting closer on the Commons spread markets

Why I’m continuing to keep my money on Gordon For me the most satisfactory form of general election betting is to buy and sell the number of Commons seats on the spread betting markets. Here the projected seat numbers at the next general election are traded like stocks and shares and you don’t have to wait until the election takes place before you can pocket any winnings. Until now the only Commons spread market that is operating is the above…

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Could Thompson soon be the front-runner in the GOP race?

Could Thompson soon be the front-runner in the GOP race?

But will he stand up to the scrutiny that being favourite will bring? The latest polls on the race for next year’s Republican nomination show that the attorney, turned movie star, turned politician, Fred Thompson, has been making even more progress against front-runner, Rudy Giuliani. Even though he is waiting until July 4th before making a declaration Rasmussen has him polling at 24% – exactly the same as Giuliani. Another poll, LA Times-Bloomberg, has Thompson moving up by six full…

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Introducing Politicalbetting “recorded wagers”?

Introducing Politicalbetting “recorded wagers”?

Will Lynne Featherstone hold on in Hornsey? Those who followed yesterday’s thread will have seen a fierce argument between two long-standing contributors, Mark Senior and Gladstone, over whether the Lib Dems will hold onto Hornsey and Wood Green at the next general election. Mark has laid a bet 5/1 on the possibility that the incumbent who took the seat in 2005, Lynne Featherstone, (pictured above promoting a soup kitchen initiative) will fail to hold onto the seat. So if she…

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Has Jackie Ashley become a political betting convert?

Has Jackie Ashley become a political betting convert?

But what do we think of her tips on the deputy race? Over the weekend a site regular brought to my attention Jackie Ashley’s column in the Guardian last Friday when she attempted to look at the Labour deputy race from the punters’ point of view. We were told that Hilary Benn was the bookies favourite; John Cruddas had at one stage been at 150/1 but the price had tightened sharply while Harriet Harman was, in Jackie’s own words “worth…

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Should Dave fear Ming more than Gord?

Should Dave fear Ming more than Gord?

Can the Lib Dems undermine Tory ambitions? At the height of the Tory grammar row a week or so ago Francis Elliot in the Times carried a report about some leaked secret Conservative party research that might be a pointer to the next general election. For the research underlined that the party that represents the biggest threat to the Cameron project is not UKIP or another faction on the right but the Liberal Democrats. The survey also showed a disconnect…

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Why does Tony feel he has to apologise to Cameron?

Why does Tony feel he has to apologise to Cameron?

Will this be the first row of the Gord-Dave era? Reproduced above is the start of the main political story in today’s Observer and looks set to be the first Labour-Tory battle ground for Brown’s arrival at Number 10. With both new leaders jostling to assert themselves this could be very dangerous territory. For, according to the report, one of the big ideas outlined from Brown last weekend was part of a package of suggestions put by the Tories in…

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