£1.35 million staked on UK General Election within 24 hours

Within 24 hours of the announcement of a UK General Election, £1.35 million ($1.72m) had been staked on Betfair’s Exchange election markets.

The sudden announcement made by incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as he stood in the pouring rain outside 10 Downing Street, has boosted the betting landscape as well as sending the UK news cycle into full election mode, as the politicians traverse the country seeking to win the support of the electorate.

Conservative leader Sunak confirmed the vote will take place on July 4...