Gordon Brown’s courting of Rupert Murdoch — an area I have pursued for years through the Freedom of Information Act — has finally been proved pointless today with the Sun‘s decision to return to its core values and support the Conservatives. Doubtless Brown will be bitterly disappointed that the paper which backed Tony Blair in 1997 and through his lowest moment over Iraq has abandoned New Labour amid a media consensus that the Tories will win next time. But the “blow” is not as great as it seems, as Alastair Campbell — who went so far out of his way to win over the tabloid for Blair — explains on his blog today.
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 pence in the pound on income tax.
Second, 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.
Third, progressives in the party should rejoice that it is rid of this fairweather 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.
Arguably it is to Brown’s credit that he managed to give a speech so social democratic that it alienated the Sun‘s right-wing proprietor. Clearly, you can no longer please both the Labour Party and Rupert Murdoch.
Do not forget: Murdoch’s world-view is directly opposed to that of a party which — with six months to go before the fight of its life — can, at last, be itself.
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