Odds on Eddie Mair's become the new Newsnight host have been cut following a mystery cash plunge in a West London betting shop according to betting firm Ladbrokes. The bookies report an unknown middle-aged male customer entered a West London branch of Ladbrokes on this afternoon and placed £100 on the PM presenter Eddie Mair succeeding Jeremy Paxman, with the record Newsnight wager enough to force Mair's odds in to 4/1, from 5/1.
Despite the chunky bet Laura Kuenssberg remains the even money favourite with Robert Peston next in line at 7/1. The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson is the most popular outsider to date at 50/1.
Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: "Someone is clearly confident Mair will pip Kuenssberg to the post. If our mystery Mair fan is on the money he'll hit us for six."
