General election date odds slashed amid intense rumours

Rumours of a snap election are flying round Westminster, and now the odds of the general election taking place between July and September have been slashed.

It was previously thought that the government was most likely to call the next election between October and December – but the bookies’ odds now suggest that a summer election is more likely.

The speculation has mounted up throughout Wednesday, with foreign secretary David Cameron cutting his trip to Albania short to attend an urgent Cabinet meeting at 4pm.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has also cancelled an appearance on ITV’s Peston tonight in order to attend, while Defence Secretary Grant Shapps delayed his flight to attend a Nato meeting in Lithuania.

This morning, odds of an election being called between July and September were at 2/1and it’s now at 1/2.

It was previously thought that October and December was the most likely outcome. That was previously at 1/3 with the bookies, and now it’s at 5/4.

Oddschecker’s Leon Blackman said: “The betting market which allows punters to bet on when the date of the Next General Election will be has sprung into life on Wednesday morning. Having been dormant for months, with an election expected between October and December 2024, it is all change in the betting. After inflation fell from 3.2 per cent to 2.3 per cent, rumours are circulating that Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives will call a snap election.

“These rumours have led to a General Election happening between July and September 2024 being the most likely date, according to the bookies. On Oddschecker, we’ve seen a surge of bets come in Wednesday backing this, as the odds have been cut from 2/1 to 1/2. This translates to an increase in implied probability from 33.3 per cent to 56 per cent.”

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