LONDON - While the pundits and politicians are predicting a potentially close battle, according to Britain's bookmakers, Prime Minister Tony Blair is the clear favourite to win next month's general election.
Bookmaking firm William Hill offered odds of 1-12 on Blair's Labour Party gaining the most House of Commons seats in the May 5 poll, meaning a bet of one pound (euro, dollar) would secure just eight pence (cents) in extra winnings.
The main opposition Conservative Party is considered a 6-1 chance to win the most seats in the election, announced by Blair on Tuesday, with the more minor Liberal Democrats on 66-1.
Another firm, Ladbrokes, put Labour on even shorter odds of 1-16 for victory.
Labour currently enjoys a 161-seat majority in the 659-member Commons, and according to William Hill the party is 1-9 on to maintain an absolute majority of MPs, with the Conservatives at 12-1 and the Liberal Democrats at 150-1.
Bookmakers are predicting a flurry of bets on the election, with one punter already staking 50,000 pounds (73,000 euros, 94,000 dollars) with William Hill on a Labour win.
04/05/2005 13:06 GMT