EMBARGO: Immediate release

Two bookies declare Lib Dems favourite to win Mid-Bedfordshire by-election 

• Ladbrokes and Betfred declare the seat a two-horse race between Liberal Democrats and Conservative party, with Labour in third

• Odds slashed on Liberal Democrats to win crunch by-election as party makes a flying start to the campaign

• Leader Ed Davey has made two visits to the constituency in the first week 

Betting agencies Ladbrokes and Betfred have slashed the odds on the Liberal Democrats to win the Mid-Bedfordshire by-election. 

Betfred have declared the Liberal Democrats “odds on” to overturn the Conservative majority and give the Conservatives a “bloody nose”. Meanwhile, Ladbrokes now also have the party at 2/5 to win the crunch election, expected to take place next month. 

The Conservative party are a close second on 9/4, whilst Labour are already out of the race to win, on 10/1.

No betting agency has Labour in second place. 

The new odds follow pollsters and political pundits who have declared Labour without a chance of winning in Mid-Beds. One political betting expert put the Liberal Democrat chances of winning as considerably higher than Labour. 

The Liberal Democrat Leader has launched his party's campaign with two visits to the constituency in the first week. Ed Davey has already visited Ampthill, Flitwick and Barton Le-Clay, where he inspected a river at risk of sewage discharges.

The Liberal Democrats have proven to be the best challengers against the Conservative party in rural Blue Wall seats. The party won three historic by-elections against the Conservative party and in last month’s local elections, the Liberal Democrats gained over 400 seats, mostly in Blue Wall contests against the Conservative party. 

The Liberal Democrats have considerable strength across Bedfordshire, including ousting the Conservative party from controlling Central Bedfordshire Council this May and running Bedford Borough Council for almost two decades. The constituency is also neighboured by Liberal Democrat MPs including Sarah Green, winner of the Chesham and Amersham by-election. 

Commenting Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: 

“This by-election is going to be a close two horse race between the Liberal Democrats and an out of touch Conservative party. We have already heard from lifelong Conservative and Labour voters across Bedfordshire who are backing the Liberal Democrats to send this Government a message.

“People in Mid-Bedfordshire feel let down and taken for granted by this Conservative Government. GP appointments in Bedfordshire are hard to come by, whilst NHS dentists are impossible to find. Local NHS services have been badly neglected. 

“Next month, Mid-Bedfordshire has the chance to send this chaotic sham of a Government a message.”

ENDS 

Notes to Editors: 

• Lib Dems are already the bookies’ favourites to win, and way ahead of Labour in the odds (Ladbrokes.

• Betfred Blog 

• Lib Dems 67% favourite in Mid Beds: “The seat has one element that makes it especially appealing to the LDs and that is that the proportion of the electorate who are graduates is about 33% which is well above the national average of 25%. Generally, the more graduates that are in a seat the more chance that the LDs have of taking it.” (Political Odds Checker).

• “Mid Beds is the sort of by-election the Lib Dems can win and Labour can’t,” John Rentoul, Chief Political Commentator, The Independent (Twitter, 10 June 2023)