MAYOR of London Boris Johnson has become a 25/1 bet on becoming the next MP for Hove.

Ladbrokes has released the odds despite Brighton and Hove City Councillor Graham Cox getting the seal of approval from the local Conservative association to stand.

The Boris odds come after he confirmed his intentions to become an MP.

In a speech about the EU at the Bloomberg headquarters in London he said he “had danced around” the issue “for an awfully long time”.

The statement has ended months of speculation by saying he will "in all probability" seek to become an MP again at next year's general election.

The mayor has been linked with seats including Uxbridge and South Ruislip in London but said he did not have a particular target in mind at the moment.

Mr Johnson is also at 25/1 to become an MP in Orpington and Henley.

Boris is a hot favourite to be the next leader of the Conservative Party according to Ladbrokes.

His odds of becoming the next Tory leader were slashed from 5/1 to 9/4 while his odds of becoming the next Prime Minister also halved to 5/1.

Coun Cox said the idea of Mr Johnson becoming the MP for Hove is a “non starter”.

“I think it would be fantastic to see Boris in Parliament but I suspect it won’t be here,” he said.

Coun Cox has announced he will step down as a Brighton and Hove City Councillor for the Westbourne ward as he focuses on the Parliamentary elections next May.

Currently Hove MP Mike Weatherley is stepping down after battling cancer.