Betting Tips and Previews: General Election

The three leaders of the three major parties, Jeremy Corbyn (Lab), Teresa May (Con),Tim Farron (Lib Dem).

2017 General Election - 8th June 2017

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Best Bets - 2017 UK General Election



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The announcement of a third major election in the UK in the space of just two years has universally provoked a response of resignation, exasperation and even despair. The TV and radio is awash with apparently earnest politicians claiming their manifestos have the policies and direction for making our little country a lot better. The usual issues of the NHS, the Economy, education, immigration and the Brexit negotiation deal are dominating the election battleground.

There’s a lot at stake. But of course, here at howtobet4free, the only stakes we’re concerned about is how much cash we think you could get out of this potential betting giveaway! What’s even better is that the concept of election betting is hugely down to carefully studied information. I personally love this kind of betting. I get no satisfaction of watching a ball circle a roulette table or hoping for big wins on the turn of a card. If you’re a lover of statistics, demographics and current affairs, election betting can be an enormously exciting and satisfying form of betting.

So what we’ve done is carefully scrutinise all of the parliamentary constituencies and pinpointed where the major gains may take place which have enticing odds. However, in order to establish where the best bets are we need to do some basic explanations. The UK electoral system is an uncomplicated affair although with so many political parties competing for your vote, it’s a good idea to start off with exactly how the election is won.

FIRST PAST THE POST

The UK uses the “First past the post” electoral system. There are 650 parliamentary seats up for grabs in the House Of Commons, therefore, the first party to win 326 seats (an overall majority) will win the General Election. It is that simple. The drawback is that the system heavily favours the two-party system, hence, the power constantly shifts between Labour and Conservative, with the latter having the most successful record since 1906. Many advocates have argued that PR (Proportional Representation), much favoured in Europe, is a fairer system as it takes into account the overall vote percentage. Often, the winning party in the UK election has not commanded the largest share of the electoral vote. However, the crucial matter still remains. Who is going to win this election?

First_past_the post_uk_politics.pngThe FPTP system currently used in the UK.  As the diagram suggests, it does have its drawbacks.

OVERALL MAJORITY

The market for the party winning the overall majority has been fascinating in recent weeks. The overwhelming favourites, the Conservatives, have seen their prohibitive odds-on price fluctuate considerably. Once the election was announced, best odds of 1/5 were available and this was snapped up like a £50 note lying unclaimed on the pavement. Bookmakers ran for their lives and reacted by reeling in the Tories to a best price 1/20. However, in the last week we’ve seen some interesting opinion polls suggesting that Jeremy Corbyn and Labour are starting to fight a rear-guard action, with some suggesting that female voters are turning towards the Labour Party in large numbers.

Firms have pushed the Tories back out to a more realistic 1/6 best with Boylesports at the time of writing. Considering the current divisions within Labour and the overwhelming opinion that Teresa May is widely believed to be the favoured leader to finalise the Brexit negotiations, a huge factor in this election, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the Tories will win this election by a considerable margin. The 1/6 won’t stick around, get down to Boylesports and whack down whatever you can. This is closer to a short term investment than a wager.

Polling_Station.jpgElectoral turnout is expected to be lower than normal with electoral fatigue widespread, although this polling station may have the highest turnout in the country!

INDIVIDUAL CONSTIUTENCIES: THE BEST MARGINAL CONSTITUENCY BETS

Marginal seats are constituencies that are narrowly contested by a slim majority. They are of course excellent betting propositions.

We suggest a £1 or more unit stake Canadian accumulator bet option by selecting our five best bets for the UK Election marginal constituencies market. Check out my article about getting to grips with accumulator betting and have a play on our calculator tool if you need some background information on this type of betting.

Cambridge: Prediction: LIB DEM GAIN

This is a big target for the Liberal Democrats to regain from Labour after losing this one narrowly in the 2014 contest. Interestingly, this was also one of the biggest Remain vote constituencies in the 2016 EU Referendum. Labour’s shift to the left in recent years may be too much for this predominantly middle-class electorate and with the collapse of UKIP also on the cards, the Lib Dems should sweep up the 500 or so extra votes needed to win this back.

Where to place the bet? Liberal Democrats: 8/13 best with William Hill, Ladbrokes, Boylesports.

Kings_College_Chapel_Cambridge.jpgThe iconic King’s College Chapel in Cambridge: can the Liberal Democrats win the Cambridge seat back?

City Of Chester: Prediction: CON GAIN

Huge target for the Conservatives. The party big guns will no doubt pay this seat a few visits in the coming weeks. This is the kind of seat the Tories will need to win to gain the increased majority they are chasing. It’s a two way contest between Lab and Conservative, and I strongly suspect the Tories will sweep up the floaters who might have voted Lib Dem or UKIP last time.

Where to place the bet? Conservatives: 2/9 best with William Hill.

Ealing Central & Acton: Prediction: CON GAIN

The Conservatives are predicted to do well in the Greater London area. This seat should be a straightforward target in another two way party fight between Labour and Conservative. It’s another strong EU Remain seat and it’s highly likely that voters may desert Labour for the pro-Remain Liberal Democrats, a tactic that could play into the hands of the Conservatives.

Where to place the bet? Conservatives: 8/15 best with Betfred.

Halifax: Prediction: CON GAIN

The Conservatives have been slowly eroding the Labour vote here in recent elections and they are predicted to finish the job this time around. Again, the fairly strong support for UKIP in 2015 is likely to deteriorate here with the Conservatives heavily favoured to capitalise. What’s even more intriguing is that the Green Party, Respect Party and Christian parties (nearly 2000 votes in total) who were all represented in the 2015 contest are not fielding candidates this time around. It’s anybody’s guess who these voters will turn to. A strong possibility is that they may vote Liberal Democrat. This seat will be closely monitored throughout the night.

Where to place the bet? Conservatives: 1/6 best with Boylesports.

Ynys Mons: Prediction: PLAID CYMRU GAIN

A hotly contested Welsh seat and very high on the Plaid Cymru target list. The Labour vote here was battered last time around in 2015, resulting in the Welsh Nationalists increasing their vote by 4.3%. A tiny further swing in their favour will see them land this seat.

Where to place the bet? Plaid Cymru: 8/13 with Ladbrokes.

Leanne_Wood_leader_Plaid_Cymru.jpgLeanne Wood, leader of Plaid Cymru, will have her electoral sights firmly set on winning the marginal seat of Ynys Mons.

General Election Betting Offers

The bookies as you would expect are all over this big key UK event! If your wondering where to open a betting account to have bet on the General Election you could do worst than have a go on these!

Betfair Sportsbook

New Customer Offers

Betfair Sportsbook have two General Election themed new customer promotions! Please note these offers end at 10pm on Thursday 8th June. Choose from one of the following sign up offers:

  • 4/1 on Theresa May to remain as UK Prime Minister after the Election

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Bet & claim your 4/1 on Theresa May Betting Offer - Visit Betfair Sportsbook!

  • Bet £10 on Politics and get £30 in Free Bets!

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Bet & claim your £10 for £30 in free bets offer - Visit Betfair Sportsbook!

Betfred

New Customer Offers

Betfred have have a solid offer for the Election run up! Simply place a £10 bet at evens (or above) and you can claim £60 in free bets and casino bonuses!

  • Stake £10 or more at evens or above, then claim a £30 free bet and £30 casino bonus!

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Bet & claim your £10 for £60 in free bets and casino offer - Visit Betfred!

Paddy Power

New Customer Offers

Paddy Power has one betting offer for the June 8th UK election:

  • 4/1 on Theresa May to remain as UK Prime Minister after the Election

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Bet & claim your 4/1 on Theresa May Betting Offer - Visit Paddy Power!

Good luck with all bets for the 2017 UK General Election!

Please check our full list of recommended and trusted bookmakers to bet with for the 2017 General Election!

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply

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Matt is Howtobet4free's resident Horse Racing expert, writer, tipster and a huge Cheltenham Festival fan. He occasionally dabbles in Golf, Football and anything else you can gamble on!

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