Is the Sun Shining on Tony Blair?

Abstract

The British press is both highly partisan and predominantly pro-Conservative. It thus provides an important test case of the ability of partisan newspapers to influence both the voting behavior of individual voters and overall electoral outcomes. However, since 1992, many traditionally pro-Conservative newspapers have been highly critical of the incumbent Conservative government, providing a particularly valuable opportunity to study their influence. Panel data collected regularly since 1992 suggest that partisan newspapers have only a marginal influence on the voting preferences of individual readers and that they have little or no influence on overall outcomes.