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The Economist
The Economist: supported Labour in 2005
The Economist: supported Labour in 2005

The Economist backs the Conservatives

This article is more than 13 years old
Magazine backed Labour in 2005 election, but says Tories are most committed to scaling back the size of the state

The Economist magazine today became the latest publication to back the Conservatives in the general election.

Having backed Labour in 2005, an editorial in the latest edition of the highbrow current affairs title said it was siding with David Cameron because the Tories were the party most committed to scaling back the size of the state.

Cameron has already received backing from titles including the Sun and the News of the World.

"The Economist has no ancestral fealty to any party, but an enduring prejudice in favour of liberalism," the editorial said.

"But in this British election the overwhelming necessity of reforming the public sector stands out.

"It is not just that the budget deficit is a terrifying 11.6% of GDP, a figure that makes tax rises and spending cuts inevitable. Government now accounts for over half the economy, rising to 70% in Northern Ireland. For Britain to thrive, this liberty-destroying Leviathan has to be tackled.

"The Conservatives, for all their shortcomings, are keenest to do that; and that is the main reason why we would cast our vote for them."

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