Miliband moves into the 2nd favourite slot

Miliband moves into the 2nd favourite slot

Meanwhile the Guardian continues its barrage against Brown The chart shows the changing betting exchange prices in the Labour leadership markets where for the the Environment Secretary, David Miliband, has now taken over as second favourite from the Home Secretary, John Reid. This is a big change and reflects, in part, the heavy media backing that seems to be gathering round, first, the idea of a proper challenge to Gordon and secondly for Miliband himself. The latter has, of course,…

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Peter Pigeon’s local election round-up

Peter Pigeon’s local election round-up

Peter Stands in for Sean Fear The by-elections held this week covered very different parts of the UK. Flintshire is in North Wales, but home to many commuters to Chester, Manchester and Liverpool. Burnley – where two of the by-elections fought this week took place is a former mill town, of the type where the BNP have their biggest following. Huntingdonshire is (rather confusingly) a beautiful part of Cambridgeshire, where John Major would see spinsters cycing to church through the…

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What are the chances of McDonnell running and coming second?

What are the chances of McDonnell running and coming second?

How about this for a good Labour leadership bet? The spread betting firm, Cantor Spreadfair, have an interesting market on the Labour leadership which offers a neat profit opportunity on John McDonnnell, if you think he’s going to run and come in second. The firm has created a spread market so that 25pts awarded to the next Labour Party leader and 10pts to the runner up. All others will settle at 0pts. If there is no contest then 25pts are…

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Are we being misled by the US betting clampdown?

Are we being misled by the US betting clampdown?

Is 4/1 Giuliani now the hot Republican bet? One factor in the UK betting on the 2008 White House race that should be taken into account is that thanks to the tough approach by the US authorities to on-line gambling there is far less money from America being wagered here compared with the 2004 election. With the executives of UK-based bookmakers at risk of arrest while travelling in the US there has been a massive clampdown by the firms to…

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Cannabis poll boost for Cameron

Cannabis poll boost for Cameron

Populus finds that “his refusal to discuss” has big public backing A total of 81% of those interviewed in a new Populus poll in the Times this morning agreed that “it does not matter if Mr Cameron smoked cannabis when he was at school or university.” In a second question 85% agreed “that he should not be expected to answer detailed questions about whether he tried drugs in his youth because all politicians are entitled to have made mistakes when…

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Frank Field says skip a generation and go for Miliband

Frank Field says skip a generation and go for Miliband

How influential is one of Gordon’s first “victims” Frank Field, the former child poverty activist and widely regarded as one of Labour’s leading thinkers has a powerfully argued article in the Guardian this morning saying that the party needs to skip a generation and go for David Miliband for leader. Field, it will be recalled, was made Minster for Welfare Reform in 1997 but left the government the following year after furious clashes with Gordon Brown. He was the subject…

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Have the markets got the General Election wrong?

Have the markets got the General Election wrong?

What’s the basis of the Tories being favourites? The chart shows the changing prices on the Tories and Labour winning most seats at the next general election. As can be seen Labour was seen by punters as being in a very strong position and was favourite in the betting right until May-June of last year. The Tory sentiment reached its peak at the end of October and since then the prices have got much closer. This morning you can get…

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Cash in on Cannabis Cameron

Cash in on Cannabis Cameron

Peter the Punter’s Political Pointer In a light news week, the focus has been heavily on David Cameron’s past and the possibility he used illegal drugs. Have Dave’s ambitions gone up in a puff of smoke? Is his future on the line? Are his chances shot? Not a bit of it, if PB.com posters are anything to go by! On the evidence of last night’s thread you would have to say his prospects had been if anything enhanced, as commentators…

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