Britain: The Sun Newspaper Now Backs Labour

The Sun, one of Britain’s best-selling newspapers known for its record of backing election winners, has made a surprising turn. Owned by Rupert Murdoch, the tabloid, which was ideologically aligned with the Conservatives, announced on Wednesday, just before the parliamentary elections, that it now supports the Labour Party and its leader, Keir Starmer.

“It’s time for a change,” declared The Sun in an article published on its online edition.

As Britons head to the polls, surveys suggest a Labour victory, potentially ending 14 years of Conservative rule. The Sun’s article criticized the Conservatives, stating: “The insurmountable problem they are facing is that, over the course of 14 often chaotic years, they have become a divided mob more interested in fighting themselves than running the country.”

The article continued, “There are still many worries about Labour… But by taking his party back to the center of British politics for the first time since Tony Blair was prime minister, Sir Keir has earned the right to take control.”

This move aligns The Sun with other publications like the Financial Times and Sunday Times, which also support the Labour Party. While the Daily Mirror and the Guardian back Labour, the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph support the Conservatives. The Economist has also thrown its support behind Labour.

The Sun’s influence is notable; in 1992, it claimed to have swayed 10 million readers to vote for John Major’s Conservatives, leading to a surprise election victory. The tabloid supported Labour under Tony Blair, contributing to Labour’s three successive general election victories starting in 1997. However, in 2009, The Sun switched its allegiance to David Cameron’s Conservatives, famously declaring, “Labour has lost it.” Labour did not win the 2010 general election, and since then, The Sun has supported the Conservatives—until now.

The post Britain: The Sun Newspaper Now Backs Labour appeared first on ProtoThema English.