David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nigel Farage or Nick Clegg could get first-hand experience of the job centre after the May 7 count

These new markets are interesting in that they diverge from the many “who will win the election” bets in that they are about which of the leaders will still be in place after the dust settles at the end of the year – long after May’s votes are counted.

There is of course the added complexity of the possibility of a second autumn election [currently 4/1] if there is no clear result – Fixed Term Parliament Act allowing.

Effectively you are betting on how well the leaders do, specifically will they do well enough even if they are not outright victorious, to protect themselves from being toppled by their own parties?

So let’s take a look at the bets individually.

image: http://blog.paddypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/David-Cameron-840.jpg

Should he stay or should he go?

David Cameron (above) will be out on his heels pretty sharpish if he does not at least win more votes or more seats than Labour’s Ed Miliband.

Betting on him to survive is like betting on the Tories at least achieving biggest party. It’s a close call with 4/5 he’ll stay or evens the current PM is for the high jump.

The price on Ed Miliband (below) is effectively the inverse of Cameron’s for the simple reason that this is a fight to the political death which only one of them can win.

image: http://blog.paddypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Ed-Miliband-840-new.jpg

The Labour leader is seen by many on his own side as a drag on the party’s chances. They will be keen to dump him if he fails.

Though some say the party rule book might let him cling on if, despite losing, he makes a decent enough showing. I suspect that would only be over Andy Burnham and Chuka Ummuna’s dead bodies. Miliband is evens to still be Labour leader at year end and 4/5 to be out on his ear.

Of all the bets on who will hang on, Nick Clegg’s (below) are the most interesting. The LibDems are sure to get a hammering at the polls, so you would think that would be the end of it for Nick. However such are the low expectations, any result better than wipe-out might see him survive.

image: http://blog.paddypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Nick-Clegg-840.jpg

Take the 7/4 on him remaining only if you think he is going to have enough seats to lead the yellows back into propping up the Tories. If you look into Clegg’s eyes you see a man who is facing the electoral executioner. Put Clegg out of his misery and take the 2/5 that he’ll no longer be telling us he is a sorry party leader next year.

Finally there is UKIP’s Nigel Farage (below) – someone I have been known to enjoy a drink with on occasion. He’s been fighting UKIP’s corner for some 20 years, my guess is that if he doesn’t finally win a ticket to Westminster in Thanet South at this election, he’ll stand down as party leader by the time of their autumn conference.

image: http://blog.paddypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Nigel-Farage-840.jpg

It would be ridiculous for UKIP to have their party leader outside the Westminster parliament if they win a number of seats.

So if you think Nigel’s charms won’t keep him a seat in parliament – at his sixth attempt – you can get 4/1 on him standing down as leader by year’s end as a consequence of losing the seat for which UKIP are 8/13 favs while the Tories are 13/8.

The pollsters say it is neck and neck in the seat so that Tory price looks a bit generous.

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