Paddy Power are betting 5/4 that Peter Robinson will be back in office as First Minister by 1st March.

The odds came on the back of today’s news that the Belfast man will temporarily step aside as First Minister of Northern Ireland until he has cleared his name. Under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the DUP’s Arlene Foster has stepped in as interim First Minister for six weeks.     

The pressure has been mounting on Mr Robinson to step down ever since news of his wife’s affair broke. In particular his handling of Mrs Robinson’s finances when he discovered she had secured a £50,000 loan for her lover has piled the pressure on him to resign. 

Interestingly Mrs Foster is not a front runner to become the next permanent First Minister – it’s a far more likely 6/4 with Paddy Power that there’ll be no First Minister come 1st March.

Paddy Power said, “This latest move could be the move that makes Peter Robinson. If he bounces back from this, the DUP will be stronger than ever”. 

First Minister on March 1st?
 5/4     Peter Robinson
 6/4     No First Minister
 4/1     Arlene Foster
 8/1     Nigel Dodds
20/1     Martin McGuinness

Will Arlene Foster become permanent First Minister?
 1/7     No
 4/1     Yes

Will the Executive be dissolved in 2010?
 1/2     Yes
 6/4     No

Next NI Assembly Election
 4/6     Before May 2011
 9/4     May 2011
 3/1     After May 2011