UK's top-selling paper backs Blair in election

LONDON - Britain's top-selling daily newspaper said today it backed Tony Blair for re-election as prime minister, a message that is important to political parties because of the big influence the paper has.

The Sun, known for its topless "page three girls" and raucous headlines, also traditionally wields power in British elections because of its high-circulation of around 3.2 million copies a day.

It has picked the winner in several British elections, famously declaring "It's the Sun Wot Won It" after it backed John Major's victorious Conservatives in 1992.

To highlight its endorsement for the May 5 vote, editors put a chimney on the paper's headquarters, promising to release red smoke for Blair's Labour Party, blue for the Conservatives and yellow for the Liberal Democrats.

"Just between you and me, I can tell you it's going to go red," The Sun's political editor Trevor Kavanagh told Sky News, a television channel owned, like the Sun, by Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

The Sun gave credit to Blair for Britain's economy, for reforming the welfare state, and "most importantly, Iraq. We believe he deserves credit for his courage in backing America and going to war in Iraq," he said.

The generally right-leaning Sun has backed Blair's left-leaning Labour party in its past two elections victories. But it has campaigned against many of Blair's projects, such as closer integration with the European Union.

"What we are saying in the editorial tomorrow, which is a very carefully argued editorial, is that there are many shortcomings with this government. We want to see changes and promises delivered," Kavanagh said.

- REUTERS