politicalbetting.com

The above chart is from the latest YouGov poll and shows the extraordinary range of views on whether those sampled had a favourable or unfavourable view of Nicola Sturgeon. The split I find most surprising is the very different numbers coming from the female segment in the sample and the male segment. I would not have expected something so striking and I just wonder whether there is a whiff of sexism about that. That Tory voters are so hostile and…

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Picture: 1964 general election odds. There shouldn’t be any value bets, in theory. Every bet we place isn’t just a forecast about an election or other event. We are also making a statement; that the forecast made by the collective wisdom of every previous punter is wrong and that we have noticed before other smart gamblers can put the price right. In principle, every value bet is an opportunity someone else should already have taken. In practice, the market clearly…

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The Presss Association has reported within the past hour that the Conservative MP for Chesham and Amersham, Cheryl Gillan, has died at the age of 68 after a long illness. Paying tribute to the former secretary of state for Wales, Boris Johnson said she would be sorely missed. “I’m very sad to hear the news of the death of Dame Cheryl Gillan,” said Johnson. “She was a great servant to the people of Chesham and Amersham, to the Conservative party and to…

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The case of Willcock v Muckle should be much better known than it is. In 1950 Mr Willcock, stopped by a policeman for speeding, was asked for his ID card. He refused. The case went to the Court of Appeal where the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Goddard, known for his ultra-conservative views, thundered against the idea that the police should be able routinely to demand ID cards for irrelevant reasons. In 1952, 7 years after the end of the war…

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