Betting markets react to UKIP successes
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With result still coming in from the locals, Ladbrokes have reacted to UKIP’s good performance by cutting them from 4/5 to 1/2 to win a seat at the next General Election. I suspect that, once we go through the results in detail, there are going to be lots of areas of concentrated UKIP support and constituencies where they are going to become a lot shorter to win.
The other main General Election markets have shifted slightly away from Labour, who are now 2/1 to win a majority.
The betting on the winners of the Euro election has been a bit strange. UKIP were about 1.3 on the exchanges when the polls closed, and are still about the same price on Betfair this morning. Which seems odd given that they have out-performed expectations in the local votes declared so far. Ladbrokes are 1/6 and you can back Labour at 7/2.
The media have found a few backbench Tories calling for some kind of pre-election pact with UKIP. We are quoting 10/1 on that, which probably isn’t all that generous.
I would say the most surprising result overnight was Labour winning control of Hammersmith & Fulham. That was a 5/2 shot with us. Hopefully, their good London showing will be reflected in the Tower Hamlets mayoral election where we’d seen a late gamble on Lutfur Rahman to hold on. Although I’m a bit worried by a tweet from the Tory candidate about UKIP, as we’d laid them at 100/1. Surely not?
https://twitter.com/wilford4mayor/status/469761618369585152
