SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
This week’s shock resignation of UKIP leader Diane James following just 18 days at the helm of the party, has seen Nigel Farage return to steady the ship acting as ‘interim UKIP leader’.
Updating its ‘UKIP leadership’ market, bookmaker William Hill has moved to price Farage at 8/1 to permanently replace James, who resigned declaring that she did not ‘have the sufficient authority or support’ to take the party forward.
On taking the interim leadership of UKIP, Farage has stated to UK media that his role will be to simply guide the party through its leadership election process, and that he has no desire of taking on leadership.
However, in contrast to Farage’s comments, UKIP Chairman Paul Oakden, said the former leader was “ready to serve in any way he can”, adding: “I would say anything is possible at the moment.”
At present William Hill has placed former UKIP leadership frontrunner Steven Woolfe at 1/2 favourite to get the job this time, with Suzanne Evans and Paul Nuttall placed as joint second-favourites at 5/1.
‘Nigel Farage is obviously the go-to man for Ukip but members may also feel they have to create a new identity under a long-term replacement for him’ commented William Hill’s Political Spokesman Graham Sharpe.
