Latest Hartlepool by-election odds revealed for the 16 candidates

Nationwide bookmaker William Hill still makes the Conservatives favourites to end Labour’s 57-year Parliamentary dominance in the town.

The Tories, who last held the seat prior to the 1964 General Election under its previous Hartlepools guise, are now priced at 4-7 on for candidate Jill Mortimer to triumph on Thursday, May 6.

Labour’s Dr Paul Williams is second favourite at 11-8 with the Northern Independence Party’s Thelma Party third favourite at 50-1.

The remaining 13 candidates all have odds of at least 100-1.

Reform UK’s John Prescott and independent challenger Samantha Lee are both 100-1 with another independent, Ralph Ward-Jackson, priced at 150-1.

Adam Gaines, who is also standing as an independent, is 200-1 with the SDP’s David Bettney, The Green Party’s Rachel Featherstone and the Liberal Democrats’ Andy Hagon all rated at 250-1.

The Heritage Party’s Claire Martin, the Women’s Equality Party’s Gemma Evans, the Freedom Alliance’s Steve Jack, the North-East Party’s Hilton Dawson, independent Chris Killick and the Monster Raving Loony Party’s Nick “The Incredible Flying Brick” Delves are 500-1.

Victory for Ms Mortimer would make her the first Conservative MP in town since Commander John Kerans stood down after five years in the role.

Labour has held the seat since Ted Leadbitter’s victory in 1964.

May’s by-election follows the sudden resignation of Mike Hill, who retained the constituency by a margin of 3,595 votes at the December 2019 General Election, in March.

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