SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
William Hill has shortened the odds on Michael Gove becoming the next Conservative Party leader from 20/1 to 4/1 second favourite behind former London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Gove and Johnson have become the Tory party faces of the ‘BREXIT’ campaign, arguing in favour of Britain leaving the European Union in the upcoming referendum on 23 June.
At the forefront of the ‘Leave’ campaign, William Hill details that Gove’s increased media coverage appears to have impressed political punters. Moving upwards in the bookmaker’s market, Gove has now displaced Chancellor George Osborne as the second favourite.
Updating the market, William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe commented; ‘’Political punters seemed to be impressed by Michael Gove’s performance in front of the camera, and he was backed down during his interview from 6/1 to 4/1 to be the next Tory leader.”
However, Gove’s market popularity may be short-lived dependent on the outcome or overall performance of ‘Leave’ in the June referendum.
Prime Minister David Cameron, who is set to reshuffle his divided cabinet post the EU vote, may move to diminish the political powers of Tory BREXITERS’ such as Gove (current Secretary of State for Justice) who have openly stood against his pro-Europe stance.
Political commentators have noted the importance of the next Tory reshuffle, as Cameron reviews his quarrelling cabinet. With media reporting weekly in-fighting between its members, its appears that Cameron has no personal favourite for his succession.
