Betting on Brown to succeed Blair - punter bets 35k

£35,000 Bet On Brown To Succeed Blair William Hill have cut the price of Gordon Brown becoming the next leader of the Labour Party from 1/7 to 1/9 following a £35,000 wager placed in a Hills shop in Reading. "This is the biggest bet in the book so far and was probably a reaction to Alan Johnson pulling out of the race. The same customer placed a £200,000 bet on the Labour Party winning the last election and if he wins this bet he will be £7,000 richer", said Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams. The odds suggest that John Reid is the only other runner at 5/1 as David Miliband is the 25/1 third favourite. William Hill Next Permanent Labour Leader: 1/9 G Brown, 5/1 J Reid, 25/1 D Miliband, 33/1 P Hain, 33/1 H Benn, 33/1 A Milburn, 50/1 M Beckett, 50/1 J Straw, 50/1 J Prescott, 50/1 D Browne, 50/1 E Balls, 66/1 C Clarke, 100/1 T Jowell, 100/1 G Hoon, 100/1 A Darling.