Various newspapers, organisations and individuals endorsed parties or individual candidates for the 2015 general election
Endorsements for parties
Newspapers and magazines
National daily newspapers Newspaper Main endorsement Secondary endorsement(s) Notes Link Daily Express Endorsed the UK Independence Party. Daily MailConservative Party Supported a Conservative government. Encouraged anti-Labour tactical voting. Daily Mirror (& other Reach plc owned papers) Endorsed a Labour government. Supported tactically voting LibDem against the Conservatives in marginal seats. Daily Telegraph None Financial Times Endorsed a Conservative-led coalition. The GuardianLabour Party Endorsed the Labour Party. Also supported Green and Liberal Democrat candidates where they were the main opposition to the Conservatives. The Independent Endorsed a second term of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. Metro None Morning Star Endorsed the Labour Party in opposition to the Conservative Party. News Line Endorsed a vote for the seven Workers Revolutionary Party candidates, Labour elsewhere. The Sun Supported voting for the Liberal Democrats in 14 Labour/LibDem marginals. The Times Endorsed a second term of Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
National weekly newspapers Newspaper Main endorsement Secondary endorsement(s) Notes LinkNew Worker None Weekly Worker Minor left-wing and far-left parties. Endorsed 39 left-wing Labour candidates. The paper also supported Left Unity, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, Communist Party of Britain, Respect Party, Socialist Labour Party, Socialist Party of Great Britain, Workers Revolutionary Party, Class War Party, Socialist Equality Party, Republican Socialists and Communist League.
National monthly newspapers Newspaper Main endorsement Secondary endorsement(s) Notes LinkPeace News Endorsed Greens and left-wing Labour candidates. Supported candidates who commit to the '2050 decarbonisation goal and/or to not replacing Trident'.
National Sunday newspapers Newspaper Party endorsed Notes Link Independent on Sunday None Newspaper stated in an editorial that it was not advising readers how to vote in 2015. Mail on Sunday The Observer Sunday Express Sunday Mirror Sunday People Sunday Telegraph Sunday Times
News magazines Magazine Party endorsed Notes Link Economist Endorsed a Conservative-led coalition.
Political magazines Magazine Party endorsed Notes Link New Statesman Spectator
English newspapers Newspaper Party endorsed Notes Link City A.M. Express & Star Liverpool Echo London Evening Standard Endorsed the Conservative Party, and selective tactical voting for the Liberal Democrats. Manchester Evening News None Southern Daily Echo Urged voters to support the Conservative Party with the exception of those where Liberal Democrats were in lead. The Yorkshire Post Endorsed a continuation of the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.
Northern Irish newspapers Newspaper Party endorsed Notes Link Belfast Telegraph None Encouraged everyone in Northern Ireland to exercise their voting rights. Irish News None The News Letter None Backed unionist candidates.
Scottish newspapers Newspaper Party endorsed Notes Link Daily Record The Herald None Endorsed no political parties. The National Scotland on Sunday None Urged voters to 'vote for the party that comes closest to what you believe in'. The Scotsman None Warned against tactical voting. The Scottish Sun Sunday Herald Daily MailMail on Sunday Praise in one article for SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, but otherwise anti-SNP and tactical for Tories.
Individuals
Animal Welfare Party Piers Morgan, journalist and television personality
Conservative Party Michael Bloomberg, American businessman and politician Sol Campbell, footballer Bob Dudley, American businessman Ron Dennis, businessman Charles Dunstone, businessman George Iacobescu, businessman Stuart Rose, businessman Tidjane Thiam, French-Ivorian businessman and former politician Paul S. Walsh, businessman Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer and Conservative member of the House of Lords Michael Vaughan, England cricketer https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/05/how-will-you-vote#MichaelVaughan
Green Party of England and Wales George Monbiot, writer and environmentalist Jack Monroe, writer and social activist Grace Petrie. activist and singer-songwriter Peter Tatchell, political campaigner and journalist
Labour Party Duncan Bannatyne, businessman and author Trevor Beattie, advertising executive Jo Brand, comedian, writer, actress and former nurse Russell Brand (in England and Wales, except Brighton), comedian, activist Michelle Collins, actress Steve Coogan, actor and comedian Peter Duncan, actor Ben Elton, comedian Martin Freeman, actor Stephen Fry, comedian, writer, actor and presenter Stephen Hawking, professor, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author Wayne Hemingway, fashion designer and businessman Mathew Horne, actor Jason Isaacs, actor Eddie Izzard, comedian, actor and writer Owen Jones, author, newspaper columnist and commentator Kathy Lette, author David Morrissey, actor, director, producer and screenwriter Susie Orbach, writer and social critic Paul O'Grady, broadcaster Ronnie O'Sullivan, professional snooker player Grayson Perry, artist Will Self, author, journalist, broadcaster Delia Smith, cook, author and television presenter Patrick Stewart, actor Harry Styles, singer of One Direction David Tennant, actor Polly Toynbee, journalist, author Dale Vince, entrepreneur Robert Webb, comedian
Liberal Democrats John Cleese, actor and comedian
Scottish National Party Dennis Canavan, former Scottish Labour Party and independent politician Martin Compston, former footballer and actor Brian Cox, actor Ian McElhinney, actor Tommy Sheridan, former Scottish Socialist Party and Solidarity member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow. Co-leader of Solidarity Elaine C. Smith, actress and comedian
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Jawad Ahmad, singer, musician and activist
UK Independence Party Richard Desmond, publisher, adult industry businessman Nick Griffin, former leader of the British National Party, former MEP Tommy Robinson, former leader and founder of the English Defence League, founder of the European Defence League, former Vice-Chairman of British Freedom Party Paul Sykes, businessman, philanthropist
Organisations
Conservative Party Young Republicans International Committee, youth wing of US Republican Party
Labour Party Australian Labor Party, abroad Socialist Environment and Resources Association, environmental activist group Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians, trade union UNISON, trade union USDAW, trade union
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, trade union
UKIP Britain First, far-right 'street-defence' organisation
Parties Some parties which only contest elections in certain parts of the United Kingdom have endorsed political parties in areas they don't contest The Labour Party (Great Britain) endorsed the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland. Plaid Cymru (Wales) endorsed the Green Party in England and the Scottish National Party in Scotland. The SNP (Scotland) endorsed the Green Party in England, and Plaid Cymru in Wales. The DUP and UUP (Northern Ireland) formed a unionist pact in four seats, with DUP candidates standing in Belfast East and Belfast North, and UUP candidates standing in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and Newry and Armagh. The 3 Green Parties in the United Kingdom, the Green Party of England and Wales, the Scottish Green Party and the Green Party in Northern Ireland, endorsed each other in their respective areas.
Endorsements for individual candidates
Danny Alexander, Liberal Democrat candidate for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Hugh Grant, actor
Ed Balls, Labour Party candidate for Morley and Outwood PinkNews
Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat candidate for Sheffield Hallam The Times
Oliver Coppard, Labour Party candidate for Sheffield Hallam Owen Jones, Guardian journalist. Ronnie O'Sullivan, professional snooker player
Andrew Dismore, Labour Party candidate for Hendon PinkNews
Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green PinkNews
Mike Freer, Conservative Party candidate for Finchley and Golders Green PinkNews
Andrew George, Liberal Democrat candidate for St Ives Brian May, Guitarist of Queen
Naomi Long, Alliance Party candidate for Belfast East PinkNews
Caroline Lucas, Green candidate for Brighton Pavilion Julia Chanteray, President of the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce Tom Burke, environmentalist, former Executive Director of Friends of the Earth Tony Juniper, activist, writer, environmentalist Charles Secrett, author, environmentalist broadcaster Russell Brand, comedian, activist David Attenborough, naturalist and broadcaster Joanna Lumley, actress and author Thom Yorke, musician and songwriter; member of Radiohead Brian May, musician, astrophysicist and animal welfare campaigner; member of Queen Billy Bragg, singer-songwriter Rory Bremner, impressionist and satirist Stephen Frears, film director Katharine Hamnett, fashion designer Jeremy Irons, actor Diana Quick, actress Bianca Jagger, human rights activist Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs presenter Alistair McGowan, actor and impressionist Cornelia Parker, sculptor and installation artist Tracy Worcester, former actress and animal welfare campaigner Mark Constantine, founder of Lush cosmetics Joseph Corré, co-founder, Agent Provocateur John Ashton, former special representative for climate change at the Foreign Office Prof. Tim Jackson, sustainable development, University of Surrey Jane Goodall, primatologist and UN messenger of peace Satish Kumar, former monk and peace activist Jeremy Leggett, green energy entrepreneur Jonathon Porritt, environmentalist and broadcaster Chris Rapley, former director of the Science Museum and the British Antarctic Survey Gordon Roddick, founder of 38 Degrees and co-founder, The Big Issue and The Body Shop Charles Secrett, former head of Friends of the Earth, England, Wales and Northern Ireland Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project George Monbiot, journalist and author Michael Morpurgo, children's author, poet, playwright Mark Steel, writer and comedian Mark Thomas, comedian and journalist PinkNews
Maajid Nawaz, Liberal Democrat candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn David Aaronovitch, journalist Richard Dawkins, scientist and writer
Derek Wall, Green candidate for Windsor Democratic Union Party, Syrian Kurdish political party
Tom Watson, Labour candidate for West Bromwich East Hugh Grant, actor
Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru candidate for Arfon Caroline Lucas, Green candidate for Brighton Pavilion
See also Newspaper endorsements in the United Kingdom general election, 2010 United Kingdom general election, 2010 (Endorsements) Endorsements in the United Kingdom general election, 2017 Endorsements in the 2019 United Kingdom general election
References