Published: September 30th 2009 - at 4:10 pm

Sun’s backing for Tories could backfire


by Chris Barnyard    

Will The Sun loudly proclaiming a shift to backing the Tories have any actual impact on voting patterns? Or will they simply reinforce people’s prejudices / sense of loyalty?

Will Straw points out that the Sun’s circulation is down 35% from mid-1990s peak.

Sunder Katwala at Next Left quotes this paper by John Curtice that summarises:

There was little evidence that newspapers had much impact on the aggregate outcome of elections. Between 1987-92 and 1992-5 the net movement of voting preferences amongst the whole electorate was very similar to what happened amongst those who did not read a newspaper at all … when it comes to the outcome of elections, the disposition of the press does not make much difference at all.

The FT’s media correspondent Ben Fenton thought it was more an attempt to damage Brown:

Timing of the Sun abandonment hints this was done to damage Brown rather than serve Sun readers. Presages a long run of anti-Labour stories.

After all, if the Sun was so enamoured by Cameron – why not back it in Scotland too?

The Independent’s Westminster correspondent Michael Savage said:

Surely Sun declaring so early means it has lost influence over Cameron – he can do whatever he likes until election. Paper can’t change mind

A Google AdWords war also seems to have broken out. While The Sun started pushing out Google Ads if you searched for ‘Labour’ stating: “The Sun backs the Tories”, someone bought Google ads stating: “You can’t trust The Sun – Wrong on Hillsborough, Wrong on Labour”.

Paul Sagar at Bad Conscience thinks it time the party cut Rupert Murdoch down to size:

When Parliament reconvenes on October 12th, there should be one priority for the final months of this government: to break up Murdoch’s control of key British media. After all, there’s nothing to lose anymore. The Sun will not volte-face and switch back to Brown; hostility from it – and eventually, The Times and Sky News too – is now inevitable. The election will be affected – and possibly dictated – accordingly. So Labour has absolutely nothing to lose by biting back.

The retaliation should go like this. The top legislative priority from October onwards must be to pass laws which make it impossible for one person – or better, parent company – to own more than one major national media outlet in the UK.

Peter Kellner, the YouGov pollster told Sky News: “Although The Sun newspaper is a great weather vane, it doesn’t decide the direction of the wind.”

At the New Statesman, James Macintyre says Good Riddance:

First, Sun readers are human beings too, and must occasionally wonder in amazement at some of their paper’s pronouncements such as those against the very rich paying 50 per cent on income tax.

Secondly, as my colleague Mehdi Hasan just said on Sky News, it was never “the Sun wot won it”, and it is patronising to assume that because Murdoch and a few executives have decided to back who they think are the winners of the next election, millions of readers will — sheep-like — follow suit.

Thirdly, progressives in the party should rejoice that it is rid of this fair-weather friend. The damage done to progressive politics over the past ten years by Blair and Brown operating within the restraints of seeking to please the right-wing media, is untold.

and finally, Matt Buck has produced this excellent cartoon.


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About the author
Chris is a regular contributor to Liberal Conspiracy. He is an aspiring journalist and reports stories for LC.
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Reader comments


It’s pretty obvious The Sun is following the readership rather than the other way around, and that New Labour have been shown up as idiots for believing otherwise for more than a decade.

‘When Parliament reconvenes on October 12th, there should be one priority for the final months of this government: to break up Murdoch’s control of key British media. After all, there’s nothing to lose anymore. ‘

What they have to lose is being seen as vindictive for turning on Murdock’s empire NOW, when they should have done it in 1997.

A straw-clutching article containing lots of quotes from journos from other media sources. I can’t tell whether you’re saying that this announcement will backfire on the Sun the Tories or both, but I hope that some of the zanier suggestions (such as declaring war on the Murdoch media empire) that are being bandied about are taken up by Labour and the Left. Harman appears to have started.

Right here we go again,

The SUN has an absolute cheek back stabbing such a great man and brilliant leader –

I will definately never purchase this paper again and I hope others realize the implications of reading this rubbish.\

5. Gordon Is A Moron

It is truly satisfying to see so many Lefties now running around slagging the Sun.

Don’t pretend that you lot didn’t get the EXACT same thrill as Conservatives today, when the Currant Bun switched to Labour in 1997. Tony and Mandy pretty much BUILT the system that turned news media into the client of politicians, so don’t cry now it has bitten you on the arse.

It won’t backfire, especially when ‘Gordon Is A Moron’ is rocking out at Number 1 for the election: http://www.gordonisamoron.net

I don’t mind spam when it makes my penis bigger, but this is making my brain smaller. Gnuhhhh.

It is almost as though you think that 1) Peter Mandleson is left wing, 2) anyone on the left likes The Sun and 3) anyone on the left is happy with the way Labour has behaved throughout its Faustian pact with the Scum.

Is there a song called “‘Gordon is a Moron ‘is a Moron”? Because although I don’t like Gordon, I don’t like you either.

So, the next election is between democracy and the Murdoch press?

Hmm, so when Murdoch’s lakey wins the election, we are going to get what he and his scumbag paper thinks we need to know stuffed into every orifice?

Nineteen eighty-four anyone?

“When Parliament reconvenes on October 12th, there should be one priority for the final months of this government: to break up Murdoch’s control of key British media.”

It would look politically motivated and therefore no better than the sort of authoritarian media control that Putin indulges in.

This is a bit wishful. I would hardly doubt it can backfire on the most influential paper in Britain. Whilst those of a liberal (sane) mind may scoff at much of what the Sun says, and certainly upon the opinion of its readership, it remains an eye-catching newspaper which everyone would be likely to pick up and have a gander through, even if it is just for entertainment purposes…and I’m not talking about Page 3!

James Murdoch is determined to set an agenda going into the next General Election regarding reform of the BBC and the license fee. We should not underestimate the ambition of ‘the Beast/Damian.’ We can expect a sharp turn in the Sun’s attitude to most senior Labour Ministers, and we can expect more dirt to be thrown upon Labour’s weapons i.e. Alan Johnson, Ed Miliband and even Jon Cruddas may get it in the neck.

“Don’t pretend that you lot didn’t get the EXACT same thrill as Conservatives today, ”

When The Sun switched to Labour, I was 10 years old.

‘Fraid to say, I got no such thrils.

11. vicarious phil

The Sun like every news outlet and many a blogger for that matter, likes to feel important and influential. The Sun isn’t what it was influence wise. It was never the Sun what won it. That was just hubris.

The Sun’s announcement was intended to rain on Brown’s parade. And it worked. He’s toast, but then he was toast months ago. They should replace him. But it’s probably too late…thinking on, he should’ve run against John Smith when Kinnock stepped down, after that it was probably too late.

Following Woodley and Harman’s hysterical reaction, the Sun is now not just backing the Tories, but determined to show its influence.

13. Dirty Euro

The sun newspaper does not back the interests of the people who read the paper. The paper did not support the mini wage, the paper wants to cut public services for middle and working classes, it also wants to cut taxes for the rich it does not have the interests of the people who read the paper. ,

Tory lead doubles in one day!

15. WhatNext?!

Dirty Euro:

Like it or loathe it, the Sun very much has the interests of it’s readers as it’s priority. That explains it’s success.

What public services does it want to cut by the way? Your statement is fact free isn’t it?

16. Matt Doughty

Why do people not understand that cutting taxes for the rich encourages more rich people to invest in business and living in the UK?

You cannot decrease unemployment by alienating business owners, no matter how many useless quangos you set up.


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  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    Article:: Sun’s backing for Tories could backfire http://bit.ly/RuUCL

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    RT @libcon: Sun’s backing for Tories could backfire http://bit.ly/RuUCL

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    Liberal Conspiracy » Sun’s backing for Tories could backfire http://bit.ly/11c3Bj

  4. Liberal Conspiracy

    Article:: Sun’s backing for Tories could backfire http://bit.ly/RuUCL

  5. sunny hundal

    RT @libcon: Sun’s backing for Tories could backfire http://bit.ly/RuUCL





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