UK News 21-04-2005 The Sun Backs Labour who: The Sun`s political editor, Trevor Kavanagh what: Announces backing for Labour in general election where: LONDON when: Wednesday snippet: The Sun`s front page on Thursday announced "one last chance" for Labour to make good on its promises as the paper somewhat reluctantly threw its weight behind Blair and Brown by literally sending up a red smoke signal from the roof of the paper`s Wapping HQ in a playful homage to events at the Vatican this week. "We have many issues with the Government, but weighing up the good and the bad of Blair`s time in power, we believe the balance tips in his favour," says Thursday`s leader, concluding that "Michael Howard has revived his party and proved himself to be a true fighter," but his colleagues are "a bloodless bunch" and their policies "carry little conviction". The campaign week began with the emphasis on immigration, with Michael Howard claiming on Monday night`s Ask the Leaders programme on ITV that the government`s policy was running "out of control" and almost rising to host Jonathan Dimbleby`s bait when the presenter tried to steer the Conservative Party leader into predicting a future of race hate violence in "more Burnleys, more Oldhams". "You`re pandering towards the fears of many in the community," said Rob Lawrence, co-ordinator of the Nottingham Black Police Association, during the programme, agreeing with remarks from the father of a policeman murdered by an illegal immigrant who claimed Mr Howard`s opportunism "beggars belief". At least The Daily Mail came to Mr Howard`s aid, blaming the "Left-wing Guardian and Times" (among others) for refusing to ackowledge "that the Howard line on immigration has voter appeal". "what we are witnessing is an insidious ploy by the Left to stifle honest, open debate by demonising anyone who dares to mention immigration as `racist`," says The Mail, "(though many illegal migrants are white!)" In an interview with The Telegraph published on Tuesday, Mr Howard said the "theme" of his vision for Britain was "trust the people". "It runs through all our policies," he says. "On tax, we say: trust the people to spend more of their money and try to take less away from them. When you allow people to keep their own money, they are likely to spend it at least as sensibly and effectively as government." Meanwhile, in The Times, Anatole Kaletsky remarked on how little the Parties have been debating health and pensions, considering they account for "almost half the £519 billion to be spent by the public sector this year". Perhaps because they are the "the most intractable, indeed insoluble, challenges" facing any Party, he says. Furthermore, "rightly or wrongly, Labour is now firmly associated with the erosion of private pensions, which is why the Government is trying so hard to remove this issue from the electoral arena". On Wednesday, The Conservatives promised to scrap government plans to revalue residential properties in England as part of a council tax re-assessment, giving the Liberal Democrats an opportunity to publicise their plans to replace the council tax completely with a local income tax, which they claim would save the average family £450 a year. Accordingly, Thursday`s Telegraph leader described the Liberal Democrat Party as "the anti-liberal champions of state control and the forced redistribution of wealth" and announced that under Labour, council tax will "rise sharply" because "councils in England will face nearly £1 billion in extra costs over the next three years as a result of increased pension responsibilities". On Thursday, with new official crime figures showing an increase in violent crime but a a decrease in petty crime, prime minister Tony Blair and home secretary Charles Clarke "joined forces for an election law-and-order pledge," says The Mirror. "We have set a target within the manifesto for continuing the reduction of crime by 15 per cent by 2008," says Mr Clarke, promising bobbies on the beat and community support officers. "Within that, violent crime is particularly important. We will reduce violent crime, so that a year from now there will be fewer violent crimes." [... more]

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