A Financial Times experiment will begin today. The FT accountants have had their fingers prised off the company purse strings so that Jim and I can start betting on the election.
We’ll both have a kitty of £100 to pit our wits against one another and the bookies of Britain.
Any profits go to Room to Read, the superb charity chosen for the FT’s seasonal appeal. Any losses, meanwhile, will be covered by the FT (our editors seem to have a touching faith in our judgement). So watch out bookies, we’re coming for your money.
The idea is that in the last few weeks of the campaign, we’ll be highlighting bets that are good value in what is the most unpredictable election since 1992. This is an exercise in making money for a charity, not in picking sides. So don’t take the bets as an indication of our political affiliation.
Finally, most important of all, please send any red hot tips to me, not Jim.
Legal disclaimer: It goes without saying that our tips are almost certain to be worthless duds. Please do not try this at home or at work unless you’re looking to give money away. There will also be no wagers on “facts” we’ve discovered through our work (such as a candidate calling a press conference to announce they will drop out).
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey