UK newspapers’ 2024 general election endorsements in full as FT backs Labour

With just days to go before the polls open for the general election, several newspapers have announced their backing for the two leading parties.

While newspaper endorsements are no longer as significant as they were in past elections, they are still highly sought after by political parties as they try to persuade the public to vote for them.

Labour, the party widely expected to win the election, has won the backing of several papers that haven’t supported them since 2005 – the last time the party won a general election.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, have achieved the backing of several papers that have been consistently loyal to them across previous elections, many of which have warned of the perils of a Labour “supermajority”.

i is the only UK national newspaper that has never endorsed a political party.

Here are all the UK newspapers that have issued election endorsements:

Financial Times – Labour

In an editorial over the weekend, the Financial Times came out in support of Labour and compared the upcoming election to the “sea-change in British politics” seen following the landslide wins by Margaret Thatcher in 1979 and Tony Blair in 1997.

The paper said the country had to choose between a “polarising Conservative Party that has limited its appeal to an ever-narrower segment of the population” and “a Labour Party that appears to want to govern for the whole country”.

“This generation of Tories has squandered its reputation as the party of business, and its claim to be the natural party of government. The party needs a spell in opposition to resolve its internal differences,” the editorial said.

“The Labour Party of Sir Keir Starmer is better placed today to provide the leadership the country needs.”

The paper did not back any party in 2019 but backed the Conservatives between 2010 and 2017 and last supported Labour at the 2005 general election.

The Sunday Times – Labour

The Sunday Times became the first Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper to back Labour at the weekend, writing in its leader column that the Conservatives had “in effect forfeited the right to govern” and it was “the right time for Labour to be entrusted with restoring competence to government”.

The paper praised Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, but said they had “ultimately been unable either to repair the damage done to the Tories’ electoral fortunes or to unite their fractious colleagues”.

“Britain now needs a radical reset. We believe it is now the right time for Labour to be entrusted with restoring competence to government. Britain needs to do better – as a place to live, work and do business,” the piece said.

“The scale of the challenge is immense. The exhausted Conservatives are neither up to it nor up for it. There comes a time when change is the only option.”

The newspaper has endorsed the Conservative Party at the past four general elections but backed Labour in 2005 and 2001. It also backed the Tories in 1997 ahead of Labour’s landslide victory under Tony Blair.

The Guardian/Observer – Labour

The left-leaning Guardian newspaper and its Sunday print product the Observer have both backed Labour in the upcoming general election.

In an editorial column on 28 June, The Guardian said “Labour has climbed out of the crater of its 2019 defeat, and it stands on the brink of power with some eye-catching policies”.

It also criticised the Conservative’s record in government, claiming that “the country has been exhausted by constant drama” and that “with such a record, the Tories could stand unopposed and still come second”.

The Observer also came out in support of Labour two days later, stating that “only a Labour government can begin to deliver the real change that Britain so desperately needs”.

“Voters should seize this chance to inflict a heavy electoral loss on the Conservatives for their ruinous period in office, and positively endorse the alternative future that the Labour Party offers,” it said.

The Guardian backed Labour in every general election since 1987 except for 2010, when it threw its weight behind the Liberal Democrats.

The Observer supported tactically voting to prevent a Conservative majority in 2019 and 2017, backed Labour in 2015 and 2005, and the Liberal Democrats in 2010.

The Mirror/Sunday Mirror – Labour

Keeping its streak of backing Labour at every general election since 1945, The Mirror came out for the party on 24 May, just days after the general election was called.

In an editorial, the paper said that “the new generation needs a Labour government more than ever” and that the main reason to back the party was “to secure a better future for our children”.

“Most young people have only known life under the Tories. They deserved so much better. The Conservatives have stood by as more and more children are brought up in poverty,” it said.

It’s sister title the Sunday Mirror has also consistently backed Labour in past elections, and confirmed its backing for the party at the weekend with a front page featuring the paper’s other front pages which focused on various Conservative scandals.

“This is a pivotal moment and voters need to be on the right side of history. A Labour victory is as crucial now as it was in 1945, which created the NHS. This election is about saving it,” the paper said.

“It’s as much a landmark as Tony Blair’s 1997 triumph, which replaced almost two decades of Tory neglect and mismanagement. The Conservatives must be stopped from ruling for nearly 20 years again.”

The Economist – Labour

The Economist magazine came out in favour of Labour last week, claiming in a leader column that “if we had a vote on July 4th, we, too, would pick Labour, because it has the greatest chance of tackling the biggest problem that Britain faces: a chronic and debilitating lack of economic growth”.

It is the first time the magazine has backed the party since 2005 and has only supported Labour at two other past elections – 2001 and 1964. It supported the Liberal Democrats in 2017 and 2019.

New Statesman – Labour

The New Statesman confirmed on 26 June that it was supporting Sir Keir Starmer to become the next prime minister, stating in an editorial piece that “under the Conservatives, Britain has lost its way, and that is understood by voters”.

It continued: “The precondition for a better Britain is the removal of the Conservatives from office. Misrule on this scale should – and will – have consequences. Unlike in 2019, Labour is once more a credible alternative.

“The party’s programme of economic change deserves support. But in seats where the Liberal Democrats are the strongest opponent to the Tories, readers should vote tactically.”

Sunday Express – Conservative

On 29 June, the Sunday Express came out in support of the Conservatives as the country entered the final weeks of what the paper described as “perhaps the dullest election campaign in living memory”.

The leader column questioned “Sir Keir’s reputation for flip-flopping” and warned that he was on track for a “supermajority” that would make him “the most powerful Prime Minister in modern times”.

“Your vote is not simply to decide if Britain needs change. It will decide whether Sir Keir Starmer is allowed to deliver that change,” it concluded.

“If you have any doubt he is the right person, the only sensible option is to vote Conservative.”

The paper has backed the Conservatives at the most recent four elections, and its daily title the Daily Express has backed the Tories in every election since 1945 except in 2001, when it backed Labour, and in 2015, when it supported UKIP.

The Daily Telegraph/Sunday Telegraph – Conservative

The Daily Telegraph was the first papers to come out in support of the Conservatives just days after the general election was called, having backed the party at every election since 1945.

In an editorial, it said that “a Labour government might well bring change, but it will not be of the good kind”.

It continues: “Labour would tax more, regulate more, be weaker in defence of the national interest and be far more relaxed about mass migration and the excesses of green ideologues.

“The Tories can hardly claim that their own record is unblemished in any of these areas. But the party must now pull together behind the Prime Minister and hammer home the message that the situation will be much worse if Sir Keir enters No 10.”

Over the weekend, The Sunday Telegraph also came out in favour of Mr Sunak’s party, stating that: “Despite the unedifying nature of the campaign, this could come to be seen as one of the most consequential general elections in decades.”

“It would be a disaster for Britain if Labour were to be given unparalleled power to refashion the country in its spiteful, intolerant, ‘progressive’ image,” it added.

Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday – Conservative

The Daily Mail came out for the Conservatives over the weekend, warning disillusioned Tories angry at their party that “they must be careful not to punish themselves by ushering in something far worse”.

“If the polls are to be believed, Labour is on course for an unprecedented ‘supermajority’, reducing the Conservative presence at Westminster to a barely relevant rump,” it said in a leader column.

“The Mail believes that would be a disaster for the political, cultural and economic life of this country.”

“With no effective opposition, it would give unbridled power to a Labour party which seeks to change Britain immeasurably for the worse.”

The paper has consistently supported the Conservatives at every general election since 1945.

Likewise, the Mail on Sunday said while the current government had been a “unsatisfactory and disappointing administration”, that Labour would be “much worse” and urged its readers to “vote Conservative on Thursday”.

Celebrity endorsements

At a campaign rally in central London on Saturday, the Labour Party revealed a slate of celebrity backers as it headed into the final weeks of the campaign.

Elton John and his husband David Furnish said in a video clip they supported Labour, citing concerns over how Brexit red tape had impacted the entertainment industry.

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington said in another clip that he would be voting Labour because he feels they have “a practical plan” to tackle the climate crisis, while fellow actor James Norton said he supported the party because of their plans to make the arts more accessible.

Other celebs offering pre-recorded endorsements included singer Beverley Knight, comedian Jason Manford, TV personality Georgia Harrison and businesswoman Deborah Meaden.

Comedian Bill Bailey spoke in person at the event to confirm his support for Labour. He joked that the Tories are “preparing for a Liz Truss comeback” and added that “to say they have got a grip on things is an insult to grips and things”.

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has also suggested he is supporting Labour after attacking the Conservatives “completely stripping the importance” out of the UK’s art communities while speaking to the This Past Weekend podcast.

Presenter June Sarpong hosted the event and urged people to campaign for Labour in the final days before the election.

Why i has never endorsed a political party – and never will

i is the only national newspaper to have never supported a political party and 2024 will be no different.

We made that promise when i launched in 2010 and we’ve kept it ever since, including 2014 (Scottish independence vote), 2015, 2016 (Brexit vote), 2017 and in 2019.

Whoever wins on 4 July, you can be sure i paper will hold them to account, without fear or favour.

Election 2024

Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer and other party leaders are on the campaign trail, and i‘s election live blog is the go-to place for everything on the general election.

Reform has been under fire after Andrew Parker, a canvasser, was caught using a racial slur about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Nigel Farage has expressed ‘dismay’ at this.

Meanwhile, i has compiled the main parties’ pledges on key issues – read our breakdown of NHS, education, and defence. You can also read each party’s key manifesto pledges in our party breakdowns of the Tories, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK.