Here's what Carrie Symonds and the PM will call their new son - according to the bookmakers

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds have announced the birth of their first child, a son.

The couple said their “healthy baby boy" was born at a London hospital on Wednesday (29 April) morning.

A spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister and Ms Symonds are thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby boy at a London hospital earlier this morning. Both mother and baby are doing very well.

The news of the birth comes just weeks after after Mr Johnson was discharged from intensive care at St Thomas's Hospital, where he was critically ill with coronavirus.

Mr Johnson was in hospital for a week before being discharged to recuperate at his country home Chequers. He was only deemed well enough to return to work in Downing Street on Monday.

What will the new baby be called?

Attention now will be on what Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds will call their newborn child.

Alexander and Winston are also thought to be likely options considered by the couple, but Wilfred was proving so popular with punters that Ladbrokes slashed odds to just 3/1.

William Hill has Wilfred as the 9/2 favourite, and Winston at 8/1, with the bookmaker’s spokesman saying he believes Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds will go with “a seriously posh name”.

According to Oddshecker, which collates the odds offered by various bookmakers and offers a comparison between them, the current best odds for the name of Johnson's new baby are as follows:

• Wilfred – 5/1
• George – 8/1
• Thomas – 8/1
• Arthur - 10/1