Political bettors have never had it so good. No sooner have we drawn breath, following the most significant vote in living memory and the biggest market in political betting history, than we are presented with concurrent leadership contests for the two biggest posts in UK politics.
The facts we know are literally changing by the minute, and markets responding accordingly. While we await confirmation and details of the Labour contest, the timetable to find David Cameron’s successor is now clear, and the contenders increasingly so.
Nominations for the Conservative Party Leadership must be in by Thursday, with the first ballot next Tuesday. The Next Prime Minister should be in place by September 2.
Today’s big news, albeit widely expected, is that George Osborne will not run. Good news for those who followed my advice to lay Osborne when favourite several months ago, and for punters holding much better odds about his two main rivals.