Thankfully, the party conference season is over for another year. However, Brexit is still the only thing that journalists, and most politicians, want to talk about and not even some bizarre behaviour by the Prime Minister is going to divert the headlines for long.
Theresa May’s attempt at humour saw the PM arrive on stage on the final day of the Conservative conference with ‘Dancing Queen’ echoing around the hall. Betway were more impressed than most with Mrs May’s moves and make her 33/1 to win Strictly Come Dancing by the end of 2020. There is, of course, a history of politicians making a fool of themselves on Strictly. But maybe bookmakers should be adding a zero to those odds as even Ann Widdicombe and Ed Balls had more rhythm than the under-fire Tory leader and they were only kept on the show for comedic value!
There were no coughing fits or set disasters this year for the PM but I’m not sure her impression of, as one commentator described, a drunken elderly aunt at a wedding reception would have endeared her to anyone but the Tory faithful who had paid an extortionate amount of money to be ‘at conference’.
Mrs May’s speech ticked most of the right boxes but she can’t condemn factions in her own party for making the Brexit crisis personal and then launch attacks on key figures in other parties in the same breath. There were lots of promises but none of them had any real substance and her insistence that the Chequers plan is Britain’s only viable option to a no deal over Brexit remains as divisive as ever.
No Brexit deal to be agreed before April 2019 is now 4/7 with Ladbrokes while Boylesports only offer 11/10 that the UK is still a full member of the EU on January 1 2020.
Amazingly, Betway are the only major bookmaker who make Labour (5/6) outright favourites to win most seats at the next General Election. Jeremy Corbyn may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the Tories are even more divided than the opposition over Brexit and likely to fracture further now that Boris Johnson has shown his hand. The former Foreign Secretary is 6/1 to be Next Prime Minister with Ladbrokes.
