Off the wire
• Ukraine's auto sales up 26 pct in April  • Fastest cargo train linking China, Europe to add station  • American film director wins prestigious Spanish prize for arts  • S. Africa HIV treatment covers nearly half of the infected: official  • Eurozone retail trade down 0.8 pct in March  • China expects Indian PM's visit to build stronger partnership  • Iran nuclear talks to resume May 12 in Vienna  • Photo exhibition marking World War II victory opens in Yangon  • Qatar Airways CEO says no planned reprisals against U.S. carriers  • Turkish army conducts military exercise in Aegean  
You are here: 　 Home

British media backs Conservative by five-to-one margin, says media monitor

Xinhua, May 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

On the eve of Britain's general election, the country's national daily newspapers have backed David Cameron's Conservative Party by a margin of five to one, the leading media journal UK Press Gazette (UKPG) reported Wednesday.

The UKPG said if daily newspaper circulations were votes, the Conservatives would be forming the next government with a landslide majority.

The London Evening Standard has called for its readers to vote Conservative tomorrow as did the Times and the Daily Mail in editorials Wednesday. They join the Sun and the Daily Telegraph in backing the Conservatives.

The UKPG said only the Guardian and the Daily Mirror have endorsed the Labor party. The Independent and the Financial Times have already endorsed a continuation of the coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

The Daily Express backed the anti-European Union party, Wednesday urging its readers to 'vote UKIP for a patriotic Britain'. Three other mass circulation newspapers, the Daily Star, the 'i' and the Metro have not endorsed any political party.

The UKPG reported the support from national daily newspapers shows almost 58 percent of the papers back the Conservatives against 11.7 percent backing Labor, 4.9 percent UKIP and 1.4 percent a continuation of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition that won power in 2010.

At the weekend five of Britain's 11 main national Sunday newspapers backed the Conservatives. Three endorsed Labor, one UKIP and two newspapers did not state a preference.

The London Times said Wednesday in its editorial that David Cameron "deserves a chance to finish" his economic recovery plans in coalition with the Liberal Democrats if he cannot secure an overall majority.

The Times added: "Mr Cameron would govern better with a clear majority but the polls now indicate that is a remote possibility. The choice seems to come down to a Labor Party propped up by Scottish Nationalists or the Conservatives in a renewed coalition with the Liberal Democrats.

"The former would tear at the heart of the Union and unpick hard-won gains since the recession. The latter would advance the cause of enterprise and freedom in which the Times believes."

The Daily Mail in its editorial Wednesday praised the coalition's "extraordinary economic achievement" over this last five years and advised readers to ensure Labor does not win the election. It said that Conservative voters should "seriously consider voting tactically for the party best placed to keep Labor out".

The London Evening Standard has also urged its readers to 'consider what is best for our capital... and support the Tories".

The traditionally Labor supporting Daily Mirror became the second national daily title to back Labor today, telling readers: "Vote for fairness and decency. Vote for a party that is on your side. If you want a better Britain, vote Labor." Endit