Bookies close betting on election date

Bookies have suspended betting on the date of the General Election after a Cabinet Minister appeared to let slip that it would be May 6.

By The Newsroom

Published 24th Jan 2010, 17:24 BST

Updated 24th Jan 2010, 23:56 BST

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said on a TV programme voters “will wake up and rue the day if they wind up with a Conservative government in charge of this country after May 6”.

A spokesman for Coral Bookmakers said: “It seems he’s given the game away”, but a spokesman for Mr Ainsworth said he had simply been “speculating”.

A Coral spokesman said: “Bob Ainsworth’s comments on Sky News, and his mention of May 6 as the crucial date, was enough for us to close the book.”

Labour are 13-2 outsiders with Coral to win the election, with the Tories 1-12 favourites.

Labour