Bit of insight for you guys, not that it helps a lot.
There are lots of factors taken into consideration, sex, postcode, use, where parked, age, annual mileage, occupation, claims history, convictions etc. Of these the major ones are postcode, age and occupation. If you are sub 25 then sex will make a huge difference. This changes the older you get so that when you get to late 30s/early 40s both sexes are roughly the same.
Unfortunately, you are only going to see premiums keep going up. Insurers haven't made any money on motor insurance for the past 10 or 11 years. Primarily this is due to the stock market (which is how they used to make money from car insurance premiums) but also the increase in personal injury claims. Solicitors are raking it in from grossing up personal inujury claims and it only ends up affecting the premiums we all pay in the long run. Every minor bump results in a couple of grand for whiplash etc. Cars are cheap to repair, it's the injuries that cost all the money plus the astronomical charges the hire companies make by operating through the claims management companies.
European legislation means that recently it was deemeddescriminatory that young men should pay more than young women (despiteyoung menbeing more likely to have an accident, and causing more damage and injuries when they do) meaning that from 2012, the girls will be paying the same as the guys. It's unlikely that the boys premiums will decrease. This may also apply to age descrimination but we'll have to wait and see.
There are all sorts of ideas being bounded around in an effort to reduce claims and therefore premiums. Unfortunately, the premiums of the many pay for the claims of the few which is frustrating when you have a clean driving record.
Anyway, that's my 2 pennies worth.