Brown burned

Just after Gordon Brown struck a deep chord within his Labour Party during an address on Tuesday, one of the party's biggest supporters over the last three elections pulled the rug out from under his feet. The Sun, Britain's top-selling newspaper, withdrew its support for Brown and the Labour Party in favor of the Conservative Party and its leader David Cameron.

The Sun has supported the Labour Party since 1997, when Tony Blair led the party to victory in the polls over the Conservatives. Ahead of next year's elections, however, The Sun has changed its tone.

"Twelve years ago, Britain was crying out for change from a divided, exhausted government. Today we are there again," said the paper in an article with the headline "Labour's lost it."

Party united after Sun's attack

Some analysts say the loss of The Sun's support has actually united the party, and members showed solidarity during the conference. Tony Woodley, leader of the Unite union which helps fund Labour, tore up a copy of The Sun during a passionate speech at the conference, saying "I suggest the rest of the country should do the exact same thing."

While The Sun's decision to back Cameron and the Conservatives may provide a rallying point for the Labour Party, it might not be enough to save them.

The latest polls released this week in Britain show Labour in third place with 24 percent. They trail the Liberal Democrats by 1 percent but are well behind the Conservatives, who polled 36 percent.

Author: Olly Barratt, London/mz/afp/Reuters
Editor: Michael Lawton