The odds on Boris Johnson leaving his role as Prime Minister have been cut after the Conservatives suffered a double by-election drubbing at the polls. Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt remains favourite to replace him.
After a number of scandals, Boris Johnson's Conservative Party lost Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton in a seismic blow to his authority. Oliver Dowden quit as the party's co-chairman on Friday morning (June 24) and told Mr Johnson 'someone must take responsibility'.
Betfair said the odds on Johnson going in 2022 have shorted to 15/8 from 5/2. The odds for him leaving in 2023 are 9/4 and in 2024 or later 7/4.
Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: “Losing their Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton seats in Thursday’s by-election has delivered another crushing blow to Boris Johnson, whose odds to leave his role as Prime Minister have shortened to 15/8 from 5/2.
"Jeremy Hunt is the 11/2 favourite to be the next Tory leader, while the Conservatives are 3/1 to win an overall majority at the next General Election.”
The next favourite to replace Mr Johnson is trade minister Penny Mordaunt on 6/1, then foreign secretary Liz Truss on 8/1, followed by foreign affairs committee chairman Tom Tugendhat: 17/2; Chancellor Rishi Sunak: 10/1; defence secretary Ben Wallace: 11/1; and education secretary Nadhim Zahawi: 13/1
