The Sun ditches Labour after 12 years of support

September 30th, 2009 UK's Brown downplays Sun tabloid switch to ToriesLONDON — Prime Minister Gordon Brown is downplaying the decision of the Sun tabloid to switch its allegiance from the Labour Party to the opposition Conservatives. Brown told the BBC during an interview at this week's Labour Party conference that the British people will decide the election, not a newspaper.

September 29th, 2009 LONDON - The flagging popularity of Britain's ruling Labour Party was highlighted Tuesday by an opinion poll that showed that the party led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown had slipped to third place in the estimation of the voter. The Ipsos Mori poll, published on the day Brown is due to give a keynote speech to the annual Labour Party conference, put Labour at 24 percent, the opposition Liberal Democrats at 25 percent and the bigger opposition Conservative Party at 36 percent.

August 6th, 2009 LONDON - Britain's opposition Conservative Party has reached the 40 per cent support level, which is seen as crucial for delivering a clear general election victory. The weighted average of five polls last month puts the Tories on 40 per cent (up three points), Labour on 26 per cent (up two), the Liberal Democrats unchanged on 19 per cent and other parties on 15 per cent (down five).

July 27th, 2009 BHOPAL - Cheques given by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to beneficiaries of marriage and medical aid bounced after an official stopped the payment, a Congress leader said Monday. Ajay Singh told the assembly that the chief minister had announced maternity, marriage and medical aid to 324 construction labourers May 28 when he inspected Gulab Sagar Dam Project in Sidhi district.

July 20th, 2009 LONDON - Steel magnate Lord Swraj Paul Monday clarified that he will continue to support Britain's ruling Labour party despite government-backed legislation that would stop him from funding the party. I have no doubt that Gordon Brown is the best prime minister and Labour the best party for the UK.

July 19th, 2009 LONDON - Indian-born steel tycoon Lord Swraj Paul, a high-profile supporter of Labour, says he will stop bankrolling Britain's ruling party if he is forced to give up his non-domicile tax status under a proposed legislation. He is supported by other high-profile Indian-origin businessmen like Sir Ghulam Noon.

July 19th, 2009 LONDON - Steel tycoon Lord Swraj Paul and Curry King Sir Ghulam Noon, two high-profile Indian-born supporters of Labour, say they will stop bankrolling Britain's ruling party if a proposed draft legislation goes through parliament. The British ruling party has signalled its support to a bill to be introduced in parliament Monday that seeks to ban Britons who have non-domicile (non-dom) tax status from funding political parties.

July 13th, 2009 LONDON - Several MPs of the Labour Party have claimed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown is as ruthless and intimidating as a mafia boss. A senior Labour women has even claimed that Brown sends in brutal hitmen to 'bump off' colleagues standing in his way.

June 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India Wednesday signed a labour agreement with Bahrain that will facilitate better worker mobilisation between the two countries. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labour and manpower development was signed by Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Bahraini Labour Minister Majeed Bin Muhsin Al Alawi in Bahrain.

June 8th, 2009 LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing a new challenge to his leadership, as his party came third behind the Conservatives and the UKIP in the European elections. The British National Party won its first two European seats.

June 8th, 2009 LONDON - Britain's ruling Labour Party appeared Sunday to be heading for a mauling in the elections for the European Parliament as first results showed a sharp fall in support compared with 2004. Results in the North-East region, a Labour stronghold, were down by nine percent, compared with 2004.

May 15th, 2009 LONDON - Britain's ruling Labour party has slumped to its lowest ever poll rating in history in the wake of the revelations about MPs' expenses. According to the Daily Telegraph, a YouGov survey puts Labour on just 22 per cent, with the Conservatives on 41 per cent and the Lib Dems a close third with 19 per cent.

April 26th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) Sunday issued directions to the laity across the state to strengthen the labour union under the church and also set up labour self-help groups, in an apparent attempt to create a parallel labour movement in the Left-ruled state. The Kerala Catholic church, which is miffed at the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government after a Left leader used harsh words against the bishops and also on the government's stand on the education sector, issued a pastoral letter which was read out in more than 3,000 churches.

January 26th, 2009 LONDON - Support for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is dipping amid a loss of voter-confidence in his ability to turn the economy around and reports of a resurgent opposition Tory party, according to two opinion polls published Tuesday. A Guardian-ICM poll, carried out after a second round of multi-billion pound bank bail-outs last week, showed only 31 percent of voters think that Brown's high-profile battle to turn around the economy will work.

January 23rd, 2009 LONDON - Fearing white backlash, the British government has shelved plans to introduce laws that would encourage electoral shortlists of ethnic minority candidates, a newspaper reported Saturday. 'It was not going to work.