Nigel Farage is strongly favoured to wipe the floor with Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner and Tory cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt when they square off in tonight’s BBC debate, a bookmaker said.

Mr Farage has been hoovering up the column inches this week after confirming he will be standing in Clacton – the eighth time he has stood for Parliament. And just as the 59-year-old is being heavily backed to emerge triumphant, he is also heavily favoured to be the winner this evening, with bettingsites.co.uk offering short odds of 8/13. Ms Rayner is 4/1 and Ms Mordaunt 9/2.

Also on the bill are Stephen Flynn (SNP) 12/1; Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrats) 20/1; Carla Denyer (Green) 25/1; and Rhun ap iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) 25/1.

BettingSites spokesman Andy Newton said: “Nigel Farage has certainly ‘shaken up’ the world of politics this week – not only by having a [milkshake] lobbed over him – but also by seeing his Reform UK party get within two points of the Tories in a recent poll.

“Next step for Mr Farage is to appear on Friday night’s BBC election debate and being a confident public speaker, who divides opinion, he’ll relish taking on a big panel of six other leaders. Therefore, it’s no revelation to see the former I’m a Celeb campmate as the odds-on favourite with our traders to win the latest war of words.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was dealt a further blow last night after a mega poll published by Survation suggested the Tories will win just 71 seats – with Reform tipped to make the breakthrough by picking up three. Another, released by Redfield and Wilton, indicated Reform was now more popular than the Tories among over-55s.

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