AS VOTING for the next Labour leader closed, bookmakers William Hill were bracing themselves for a six-figure 'Corbyn clobbering' after the biggest ever political gamble forced the odds for the man everyone assumed was only making up the numbers from a dismissive 200/1 quote right down to red hot 1/6 favourite during the course of the campaign.
'We decided to offer Jeremy Corbyn at the insulting no-hoper odds of 200/1 initially, not expecting to take more than a token few bets for him. However, we immediately saw half a dozen bets for him at those odds - admittedly the largest was a tenner - so decided to trim the price. Again, there was more cash for Corbyn, and day by day as fast as we cut the odds so more people backed him until eventually he became favourite, then an odds-on chance with a potential to cost us a significant six figure sum' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.'It is the biggest, most surprising gamble we've ever seen in our fifty years of betting on politics. Now we're resigned to an industry payout of getting on for a million pounds. And there could be worse to follow if Donald Trump, initially a 150/1 shot, now down to 5/1 third favourite, becomes US President!'
WILLIAM HILL......
NEXT LABOUR LEADER........1/6 Corbyn; 13/2 Cooper; 8/1 Burnham; 100/1 Kendall
WHO WILL FINISH FIRST-SECOND IN CORRECT ORDER?...6/5 Corbyn-Cooper; 13/8 Corbyn- Burnham; 7/1 Cooper-Corbyn; 9/1 Burnham-Corbyn; 11/1 Corbyn- Kendall; 20/1 Burnham-Cooper; 20/1 Cooper-Burnham; 50/1 Cooper-Kendall; 66/1 Burnham-Kendall; 125/1 Kendall-Corbyn; 150/1 Kendall-Cooper; 200/1 Kendall-Burnham.
IF CORBYN WINS WILL HE LEAD LABOUR INTO NEXT GENERAL ELECTION?....2/7 NO; 5/2 YES (Bets on thismarket void if Corbyn does not win)
NEXT PRIME MINISTER....5/2 George Osborne; 10/3 Boris Johnson; 8/1 Jeremy Corbyn; 10/1 Theresa May; 12/1 Yvette Cooper; 14/1 Sajid Javid; 16/1 Andy Burnham. Others on request.
