The Sunday Times switches to the Tories and the IoS says “vote Lib Dem”

The final weekend of the campaign and the Sunday papers make their endorsements with no real surprises from the tabloids.

The People, stablemate of the Mirror, is going for Labour and the Sunday Express the Tories.

The Murdoch-owned News of the World has followed the Sun and has come out for Blair. It says ..if Labour forms the next Government we put them on notice this newspaper will be watching them closely.”

Amongst the broadsheets the Observer is sticking with Labour while Independent on Sunday says the Liberal Democrats should be supported “where they can win”, and Labour, rather than the Conservatives, in seats where the Liberal Democrats cannot win. The paper states: “Where a realistic choice is between Labour and the Conservatives, we prefer Labour. But the values for which this newspaper stands are best promoted by voting – where they can win – for the Liberal Democrats.”

The Sunday Times has moved from Labour in 2001 to the Tories this time saying “…Labour’s arrogance needs to be curbed and the Tories need to be given a better platform in opposition on which to start building a genuine alternative.”

The Sunday Telegraph has, of course remained with the Conservatives and although we have not seen the paper yet, we assume that the Mail on Sunday will be doing the same.

The Sunday Times’s switch to the Tories is interesting particularly as it is owned by Rupert Murdoch. The IoS’s position follows very much from its stance on the war and had been expected.

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Mike Smithson