The Sun backs Blair

[cal04]

Bravery, they have got to be kiding. What else could we expect from a Murdoch paper)

Tony Blair will receive a major boost tomorrow when the Sun endorses Labour for the general election on May 5, citing the prime minister's bravery over the Iraq war. Labour strategists, who regarded the Sun's endorsement in 1997 as one of the key moments of the campaign, will sigh with relief that Rupert Murdoch has not consummated his flirtation with Michael Howard. No Tory leader since Margaret Thatcher has been wooed in the same way as Mr Howard, who was invited to address the News Corporation annual jamboree in Cancun, Mexico.

The decision by the Sun editor, Rebekah Wade, after close consultation with her Australian born boss, will come as little surprise to Labour and the Conservatives. Mr Murdoch is always careful to back winners and he has regularly lavished praise on the prime minister for standing firm during the Iraq war.

But speculation that the Sun might return to the Tory fold for the first time since 1992 was fuelled when Mr Murdoch told the BBC's business editor, Jeff Randall, that he was impressed by Mr Howard's leadership of the Tory party. But in remarks which received little attention at the time, he also said he would never forget Mr Blair's steadfastness during the Iraq war.

The move by the Sun, which comes mid-way through the election campaign, will add to a growing sense that the Tories are struggling. The paper has consistently been in tune with the national mood, not least after it famously asked the readers to turn out the lights if Neil Kinnock won in 1992.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1464381,00.html

[Blue_State_Elitist]

1. Blair is better than Howard...

That's not saying much, but it needs to be said.

Charles Kennedy and the lib dems don't stand a chance.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. And that's what Blair is reduced to saying to Labour supporters

"I may be bad, but at least I'm not Howard".

The sternest attack came from 20-year-old Jessica Haigh, who told him: "It is heartbreaking when you work so long to get a Labour government in power and then they turn into a Conservative one."

Mr Blair said he often had similar complaints from Labour members.

He argued: "If you measure any government against perfection, you would vote for someone else.

"But you must measure us against the alternative, which is the Conservatives."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4463055.stm

[Cha]

3. WOW! Just

WOW!

[cosmicdot]

4. it must be the 3rd Way Syndrome

'cause it sounds familiar on this side of the pond, too

... anybody but Bu$h** ...

[T_i_B]

6. "Vote for us or it's the Tories"

That's all the Labour party has to say really. However, with the Conservative party doing little other then pikey-bashing and immigrant-bashing it's a persuasive case for many. Blair's greatest asset in this election appears to be the Conservative party and their lousy, single issue obsessed campaign.

[AlCzervik]

5. I love Charles Kennedy, i always watch The PM's questions on cspan

Bush would'nt last a second in there.

[SympatheticBrit]

7. ^

Kennedy's by far the better politician, but Howard is the superior debater IMO. He would have beaten Bush AND Kerry.