This doesn't surprise me at all - but then I'm British. For about twenty years from the mid-'70s, Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers consistently supported the Conservatives. Then, shortly before the 1997 general election, they switched to definite though conditional support for the Labour party - or at least for Tony Blair - though without significantly changing their position on individual political issues. They have only shown definite signs of switching back to the Conservatives during the past year or two - and haven't fully done so yet.
Why? To put it briefly, because Murdoch seems to be prepared to support governments of any political complexion on two conditions - firstly, that the governments concerned don't pursue policies he particularly doesn't like (in practice, ones that would directly or indirectly limit the power of his media empire) and secondly, that there is no more congenial alternative government that would be likely to get elected even with the support of his media empire.
In a comment to an unlocked post, the word "blackmail" does not, of course, come to mind.
no subject
This doesn't surprise me at all - but then I'm British. For about twenty years from the mid-'70s, Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers consistently supported the Conservatives. Then, shortly before the 1997 general election, they switched to definite though conditional support for the Labour party - or at least for Tony Blair - though without significantly changing their position on individual political issues. They have only shown definite signs of switching back to the Conservatives during the past year or two - and haven't fully done so yet.
Why? To put it briefly, because Murdoch seems to be prepared to support governments of any political complexion on two conditions - firstly, that the governments concerned don't pursue policies he particularly doesn't like (in practice, ones that would directly or indirectly limit the power of his media empire) and secondly, that there is no more congenial alternative government that would be likely to get elected even with the support of his media empire.
In a comment to an unlocked post, the word "blackmail" does not, of course, come to mind.