A LEADING bookmaker has installed a Tory as the odds on favourite to take the Ellesmere Port and Neston seat at the General Election.

Ladbrokes started taking bets on every constituency in England on Sunday and say Andrew Miller is likely to end his 18-year reign as the town’s representative in Parliament.

Tory candidate Stuart Penketh is favourite to win the seat at 8/11 while Mr Miller, MP for the constituency since 1992, is on offer at an evens bet meaning punters can double their money with a successful bet on him.

Mr Penketh, a geologist and Bury councillor, would need to overturn Mr Miller’s 6,486 2005 majority to win the seat.

Mr Penketh said: “It is promising. It shows people are seeing the Labour government for what they are and after 12 years they can’t keep harking back to how it’s all the Tories’ fault.

“It’s great news for us but we can’t be complacent about it.

“People are recognising the positive aspects of our campaign. but the only real thing that counts is the election.”

If elected, he would be the first Tory elected to the town for 23 years.

Mike Woodcock, first elected in 1983, was chosen in 1987 and before him, Tory Barry Porter won in the old Bebington and Ellesmere Port constituency in 1979.

A defiant Andrew Miller laughed off the news.

He said: “It’s a great pity that it’s improper for me to put money on myself.

“The odds are reached by bookmakers on the basis of information available, looking at opinion polls and then influenced by who’s putting money on.

“What it means is the Tory camp have got some confidence in their man.”

The Liberal Democrats are bringing up the rear with odds of 100/1.

Rival bookmakers Paddy Power disagree and have the two main parties level pegging on 5/6.

But politicshome.com, a website which publishes the results of opinion polls and other data, also predicts there will be a Conservative majority in Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Ciaran O’Brien, spokesman for Ladbrokes, said: “The odds are arrived at with a combination of current opinion polls, boundary changes since the last result and our feel for any local issues.

“We have an odds compiler dedicated to political enquiries.

“If you think it’s good value, get your money on Labour.”