Bet on the General Election

William Hill have taken a string of bets for Tony Blair to stay in office for long enough to exceed Margaret Thatcher's eleven and a half year spell as Prime Minister, and have cut the odds against him doing so from 9/2 to 7/2. And at the same time they have also lengthened the odds about him being out of office by January 1, 2006 from 3/1 to 5/1.However, although Hills rate Blair as a 100/1 shot to be beaten in his Sedgefield constituency, punters believe that he will struggle to maintain his majority of 17,713 and Hills are offering 7/2 that it shrinks to 15,001- 16,000; 9/2 that he wins by between 14,001-15,000 and 9/2 between 16,001-17,000. But Hills are offering 7/1 that he wins by fewer than 12,000.Hills have opened a book on the size of Labour's overall majority and offer Even money that it will be 64 seats or more; 6/5 63 or fewer; 5/1 that Labour do not achieve an overall majority.Labour are 1/9 favourites to win an overall majority with Hills who make a Hung Parliament a 13/2 chance; and offer 12/1 a Conservative overall majority; 150/1 a Lib-Dem overall majority.