Despite losing favouritism in some constituencies, the Conservative Party still hold a healthy lead
The Tories remain firm favourites to win the most seats at the General Election and are favourites to win a seat in 395 constituencies a decrease of three since last week.
Jeremy Corbyn’s odds to be named Prime Minister following the general election next week have been shortening throughout May and he’s now as short as 4/1 having been 13/1 a couple of weeks ago. Even though his chances of succeeding Theresa May appear to be increasing, his party is still a long way behind the Tories when it comes to winning the most seats.
Last Wednesday, Oddschecker reported that the Conservative Party were favourites to win seats in 398 different constituencies. A week on, and Labour have managed to wrestle favouritism from the Tories in four locations, including Batley and Spen, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Newport East and Stalybridge and Hyde. However, the Conservative party have become favourites to win the Perth and North Perthshire seats, taking favouritism from SNP following the latter’s manifesto release.
As well as taking favouritism from the Conservative party in four areas, the Labour party have also moved favourite to win seats in Bermondsey and Old Southwark, where the Lib Dems were strong favourites. Jeremy Corbyn’s party are favourites in 175 different constituencies and remain a close second in another 81 areas. The Labour Party have seen their odds dramatically cut in eight separate constituencies, including Battersea and Sheffield Hallam and are now second favourites in each.
Corbyn’s party are still a long way behind the Conservative party even if they do manage to upset the odds by winning a majority of the seats where they are currently second favourite.
One positive for Corbyn and the Labour party is the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s support for a “progressive alliance” to lock the Conservatives out of Westminster. This plus the Labour party being popular in the opinion polls has seen the odds of a Hung Parliament shorten from 14/1 to 5/1 in the last two weeks as well as the next government to be a Labour Minority narrow from 28/1 to as short as 9/1.
Bookmakers Predictions:
Conservative – 395 seats
Labour – 175 seats
Scottish National Party – 47 seats
Liberal Democrats – 10 seats
Democratic Unionist Party – 8 seats
Sinn Fien – 6 seats
Plaid Cymru – 4 seats
Social Democratic & Labour Party – 2 seats
Alliance – 1 seat
Green – 1 seat
Independent (Lady Hermon) – 1 seat
