A Rupert Murdoch paper has now joined a list of publications to switch political allegiance before the election
Over the weekend a Rupert Murdoch paper became the latest to switch its political allegiance and announce it was backing Labour, in a string of endorsements that mark a blow for Rishi Sunak, with less than a week to go before the general election.
Despite not having the same weight as in the past, newspaper endorsements are still sought after from party leaders and a significant marker of where the parties stand.
On Saturday (29 June), the Independent announced it was endorsing Labour, for the first time since 2005. The paper’s editorial concluded that waking up to another five years of Tory rule “would not be good for Britain” and that Labour promises change and offers hope.
Over the weekend one of Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers also endorsed Labour to win, for the first time in more than 20 years. The Sunday Times said the “exhausted Conservatives are neither up to it nor up for it” and stated Britain needs a “radical reset”, in a boost to Keir Starmer.
The paper last backed Labour under Tony Blair in 2001 and the endorsement has heightened the question of whether Murdoch owned The Sun would also now endorse Starmer. So far the broadsheet, which has backed Conservative for the past 19 years, has not announced if it will switch allegiance.
Like the Sunday Times, the Economist and Financial Times which all previously backed the Conservatives, have now called for a change of government. For the Economist it will be the first endorsement of Labour since 2005.
Who the national newspapers have endorsed:
Daily Mirror – Labour
The Guardian – Labour
The Observer – Labour
The Independent – Labour
The Daily Record – Labour
The Sunday Times – Labour
The Financial Times – Labour
The Economist – Labour
Daily Star – Count Binface
The Daily Telegraph – Conservative
The Sunday Telegraph – Conservative
Daily Mail – Conservative
Sunday Express – Conservative
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward
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