Davis still in a commanding lead

Davis still in a commanding lead

Tory leadership: RED Davis, BLACK Clarke, BLUE Cameron, GREEN Fox But will he suffer the favourite’s curse? For all the media is focusing on Ken Clarke’s speech this morning the big change in our implied probability chart based on best betting prices has been towards the 38 year old Shadow Education Secretary, David Cameron, who is now back to second favourite. The Shadow Home Secretary goes into his platform speech today with the knowledge that in terms of public declarations…

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Clarke drops behind Cameron on the Betfair exchange

Clarke drops behind Cameron on the Betfair exchange

After a morning of relatively heavy activity on the betting markets the ex-Etonian, David Cameron, has now moved into second favourite position on Betfair. At the time of this post he was on was at 4/1 compared with the 4.6/1 available on Ken Clarke. Whether this will be sustained after Ken Clarke’s speech this afternoon we will have to wait and see but Cameron continues to get serious attention from the punters. David Davis, meanwhile, has moved a little bit…

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The Betting Markets give Day One to Cameron

The Betting Markets give Day One to Cameron

Could we be heading for a Davis-Cameron final? The first day “winner” of the Tory Party conference according to the way the betting has moved is indisputably the Shadow Education Secretary, David Cameron. While all the other contenders have seen their prices ease or stay the same only Cameron has seen a sharp tightening. Although Ken Clarke is still second in the betting behind David Davis the former Chancellor’s price has eased while Cameron’s has seen a very sharp movement…

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First on stage…Sir Malcolm Rifkind

First on stage…Sir Malcolm Rifkind

Can the former Foreign Secretary make the speech his life? May is a long time ago and it’s probably been forgotten that in the early phases of this seemingly never-ending contest Sir Malcom Rifkind was joint second favourite at just 9/1. But it was always going to be hard for the Foreign Secretary in the last Tory Government who lost his seat in 1997. It took him eight years to get back to Westminster and on his return he faced…

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Milburn “ready to stand against Brown”

Milburn “ready to stand against Brown”

Cherie Blair and Mandelson said to be encouraging him to stand The former Health Secretary, Alan Milburn, is reported by the Sunday Telegraph this morning to be ready to mount a challenge to Gordon Brown when Tony Blair eventually steps down as Labour leader. According to the paper’s political editor, Patrick Hennessy, a Milburn aide is reported as saying that “When the time comes, Alan will be very well positioned to challenge Gordon..He does not expect to win – but…

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How do YOU rate the Tory contenders?

How do YOU rate the Tory contenders?

…… Take part in the PB.C survey With the Tory leadership election about to start in earnest at the Party Conference in Blackpool how do PB.C’s users rate the top four candidates in the betting on four key attributes? It is important that you give your ratings on how you think Tory members will assess Cameron/Clarke/Davis/Fox in each area – irrespective of your own political allegiances. The aim is to determine the collective judgement of the PB.C community. Please use…

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Why don’t punters believe Mr. Blair?

Why don’t punters believe Mr. Blair?

Betting price implied probability of Blair remaining until Jan 2008 or beyond So what is happening with the Labour succession? The Tory leadership, the by-elections and the Walter Wolfgang eviction have over-shadowed what surely, because Labour is the governing party, the most important question in British politics – when will Tony Blair hand over to Gordon Brown? By Monday lunch-time things seemed a little bit clearer. One potential rival to Gordon Brown after another had given their public backing to…

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Meet the man who claims he toppled Blunkett

Meet the man who claims he toppled Blunkett

Is David Davis really the man gamblers should thank? One of the great bets at the end of last year was the 7/2 you could get against David Blunkett not surviving until the end of December in all the furore over the Kimberely Quinn paternity case. Blunkett was of course Home Secretary and David Davis was his Tory shadow. Until yesterday’s formal launch of the David Davis campaign for the Tory leadership not everybody, we guess, fully realised the part…

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