It was The Sun wot won it

[Sandy-Wroe]

That was the crowing headline they published after Major's election victory in the distant past.
The Sun newspaper, or rather its owner, Rupert Murdoch has decided not to support Labour at the next election.
If the Torys win what reward will Murdoch expect?

[jake-the-peg]

I laughed when I heard this

What next? the Guardian withdrawing its support for the BNP?

The Sun may have been vaguely supportive of Blair in the past but I don't recall it ever being supportive of Gordon Brown.

[BertiWooster]

It's all over isn't it - no need for the fat lady to sing

[jake-the-peg]

Do you remember president Dewey?

No?

In 1948 the Papers all confidently predicted his victory, the New York |Times even printed the headline that he'd won before the votes were confirmed.

But he hadn't, Truman won.

The odds are against Brown but Counting you chickens before they're hatched is a dangerous occupation in politics.

Talking of which are we all looking forward to the Irish "Yes" vote this weekend?

[fredpuli47]

Mr Murdoch's expected reward is the greatest continuing profit for his paper. The Sun will declare itself for whichever party seems certain to win. That way , the paper catches the current mood of the greater part of its existing and potential readership. The paper can later claim to have influenced the result when all it has done is predict it .

He owns The Times as well. The Times is neutral. Times readers and potential readers expect that. Mr Murdoch knows that, too

[BertiWooster]

My statement was made without any air of satisfaction , but rather sadly , an air of the the inevitability.

[albaqwerty]

it's a heck of a thought that we are governed by Sun newspaper readers.
Wonder what Tracy on page 3 thinks about it? :D

[Gromit]

Over the years, Labour has courted Murdoch and been favourable to his expanding empire.

It will be interesting to see if this policy changes.

Media outlets including the Sun do not want to be seen as backing the wrong horse and not being on the side of public opinion. It is fair to say Labour look to be heading for defeat, but Tory policies haven't been put under any scrutiny, mainly because they haven't told us what they are yet.

Traditionally, the gap between the parties in the polls narrows the closer we get to an election. Labour will be praying for the economy to bounce back and there are signs that that is happening, but it still might not save them. It is scary to think how much more harder the global crash and recession would have affected us all if the Tories had been in power and had done nothing.

[Sqad]

Gromit

"It is scary to think how much more harder the global crash and recession would have affected us all if the Tories had been in power and had done nothing."

That is purely rhetorical.........we will never know.

[jno]

The Sun vigorously supported the Tories through the Thatcher years. Some time in the late 80s, they did some focus group polling and were surprised to discover that most of their readers thought the Sun was a Labour supporter. It seems most of the readers start at the back and never make it to the editorials up front. This may have changed since then but I wouldn't bet on it.

[Quizmonster]

The Sun is written in such a linguistic style as to be accessible to the average 8-year old and - one sometimes suspects - BY 8-year olds! The sad thing is that this is precisely what most of Britain's population seems to want. "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings", eh? Still...over to the flibbertigibbets next May...God help us!

[ludwig]

The decision to hold a victory celebration before the voting had even taken place was probably what lost Kinnock the election. The sight of him grinning smugly, whooping, hollering and punching the air was so annoying, it was enough to send all the undecided voters rushing out to vote Tory.
I don't think any other party will be making the same mistake again.

[youngmafbog]

Brown has had it. He was finished well before the Sun stuck the knife in.

District9 do you always steriotype people in that way? The Sun is the biggest selling paper in this country like ot or not. I read it and I can assure you I am not knuckle dragging at all in fact I amn forces to pay thousands a month to Brown to support his liberal leftie do gooding useless policies.

As for the Tories would do nothing. Get real. Easy to attack when it cant be proved isnt it.

FACT Labour have had 12 years to produce the goods. Bottler is still promising but do you labour supporters really think that if he has not done it in 12 years then he will now come clean.

It is clear what hhe is up to. He has trashed the country and saddled it with debt. He is now making mpromises that he knows he will never have to keep. Then when the Tories really get to see the books and find out what a dire mess we are in and are unable to match anything he says he will turn and say this is what I would have given you and the Tories havnt.

Anyone who blelieves Brown needs their head looking at

[mrs_overall]

Do you mean that the Sun actually had some news in it today? I'm gobsmacked!

[R1Geezer]

The grey man did at least win a mandate in 1992, I guess he was up against the Welsh wind bag though. Old Kinochio must be kicking himself!