Punters betting on Blair...to do badly

William Hill have slashed their odds about Tony Blair's majority in Sedgefiled falling to 12,000 or fewer from its current 17,713, from 7/1 to half those odds, 7/2, following a string of bets including one of £1500.And Hills have also lengthened their odds about Blair staying in office long enough to eclipse Margaret Thatcher's record eleven and a half year spell as PM from 7/2 to 9/2 - meaning that he is 1/8 to depart before then. Gordon Brown is 2/7 favourite to succeed him as Labour Leader and 5/2 to become PM in 2007.Hill's current overall majority odds: 1/20 Labour; 16/1 Conservatives; 150/1 Lib-Dems; 9/1 Hung Parliament.**One Labour candidate has complained to William Hill that his odds are too long for victory in his constituency. 'The man complained that he should be favourite and not second favourite to win in his constituency - so I suggested he backed up that opinion with hard cash. He has yet to do so.' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.