LONDON - The newspaper baron Viscount Rothermere yesterday backed Mr Tony Blair's plans to scrap hereditary peers' voting rights. The chairman of the Tory supporting Daily Mail has decided to move from the cross benches to sit on the government side in the House of Lords because he believes in Labour's policies.
Lord Rothermere said the Labour Party was carrying out policies that the Tories should have put through, like helping small businesses and "taking the right attitude in Europe". He described Tony Blair as "extremely astute and tremendously energetic". Before polling day the Mail warned its readers that 1,000 years of history might be wiped out if Labour won the election.
