There’s been quite a bit of discussion through OnTheWight today on what the betting odds are for the Isle of Wight MP seat in the 2015 General Election.
So we got in touch with Ladbrokes to find out what they thought and Matthew Shaddick, Head of Political Odds at Ladbrokes no less, was happy to share his views.
One we will be watching closely
The odds make for interesting reading (especially given some of the guesses made earlier today by OnTheWight readers), but what’s more fascinating is that according to Matthew,
“These developments have turned this from a betting non-event into one of the most interesting contests in the country, certainly one we will be watching closely.”
Scores on the doors
So where do the current candidates stand according to Ladbrokes?
1/7 Conservatives (Andrew Turner)
5/1 UKIP (Iain McKie)
25/1 Independent (Ian Stephens)
50/1 Liberal Democrats (David Goodall)
100/1 Labour (Stewart Blackmore)
100/1 Greens (Vix Lowthion)
Recent events shorten UKIP’s odds
Matthews goes on to say,
“UKIP have moved from 20/1 into today’s 5/1 since we first released odds last year. The prospect of a Tory de-selection as well as Mr Stephens’ intervention can only help their chances of a shock win.
“Whilst Ian Stephens looks much more plausible than the average independent candidate, history is against him as only two genuine indies have won a Westminster seat in the last 40 years. Having said that, with a large Lib Dem vote up for grabs, he must stand a much better chance than most if it turns into a three way contest.”
Solid election coverage from OnTheWight
It’s certainly going to be an interesting election race on the Isle of Wight over the next three months.
OnTheWight aims to bring you the best coverage possible.
Image: state_library_south_australia under CC BY 2.0
