Punters pile in on Blunkett going
December 7th, 2004William Hill have cut their odds about David Blunkett standing down as Home Secretary on or before January 1, 2005 from 7/2 to 5/2, but make him 2/7 still to be in office on that date. ‘All the money we have taken so far - including the largest bet struck of �200 - has been for Blunkett to go’ said a Hill’s spokesman.
Given the publicity there has been and he is still there we wonder whether the lower price offers good value.
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these prices aren\’t online at the moment. It\’s not surprising the bets are one way I doubt if even the most optimistic Blunkett fan would be rushing to buy money at 2/7.
If this was the first quote I reckon you\’d call 5/2 value, obviously it\’s less attractive as time goes on…
I like some of the quotes in the rushed out biography
\’He left the Home Office in a mess\’
etc.
not just the ticket to gain your colleagues\’ support at this difficult time.
I reckon that 5/2 is poor value, Budd and the Parliamentary Ombudsman\’s not going to report before the New Year, the public\’s not hugely against him and Blunkett\’s not up in the House of Commons before the recess on 21st December. If the cut-off point was 1st February it would be very tempting but it isn\’t.
Like I\’ve said all along - there has to be real solid evidence for BLunkett to be pushed. If real evidence of solid malpractice comes to light he will go in nanseconds. Unless it does he will stay. My personal feelings are that the press are starting to lose the smell of blood and the public just do not think it is a resigning matter without solid proof of real misdeeds. I would stay out at 5/2, or indeed 7/2.
DM Andy - I think you have a bet with me for settlement Feb 11th?
One pundit in the Times today was saying he\’ll be cleared by Budd and go in the New Year anyway…
Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is in on the game as well now.
Who are all these people polled supporting Blunky? I don\’t know many.
Well the results on the polls showed that over half the public do - so maybe you know the wrong people
Also on Parliamentary Standards - they have ot investigate almost anything that the public complain about. The point is the result that they come to.
Yep, Guido, I gave you 5/1 on the William Hill terms, so I put my money where my mouth is.
At the moment, assuming he survives Budd, the expectation seems to be that he\’ll go after the election to \’sort his life out\’. Would be amazed if he went in January, would leave Blair with a huge hole in his cabinet.
More in Private Eye this week on the allegations of special protection for the Quinn house - not on May Day, but apparently Blunkett specially tasked the Met with investigating schoolchildren who were knocking on the Quinns\’ front door and running away, and going into their school to have words. Now that\’s what I call zero tolerance!
Standard article today:
http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/15228907?source=Evening%20Standard
\”One government source was today quoted as saying that Mr Blunkett is in \”twilight time\” and could resign. \”There is a growing acceptance that David will be gone within a week.\” It was clear from Mr Blair\’s announcement with Mr Blunkett yesterday that the Home Secretary cannot continue his job as normal. Requests for interviews about a new policy on illegal drinking were rejected. \”
The bookies have moved the odds out to 3/1… S\’pose the passage of time…