The election of a new leader for Britain’s third political party, the Liberal Democrats, had a strange aftermath on Friday as speculation continued that a very British tactic had been used in the leadership campaign: manipulation of the betting market.

Supporters of Chris Huhne, who finished runner-up to the new leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, when the result was announced on Thursday, are alleged to have placed strategic bets on their candidate to shorten the odds and make people think he was winning.