The influential Economist magazine endorsed Britain's main opposition Conservatives today, giving them a boost ahead of next week's parliamentary election.
The magazine switched its support from centre-left Labour for the May 6th election because it said the Conservatives seemed the most committed to reducing the size of the public sector.
"Government now accounts for over half the economy, rising to 70 per cent in Northern Ireland. For Britain to thrive, this liberty-destroying Leviathan has to be tackled," the magazine wrote in an editorial.
"The Conservatives, for all their shortcomings, are keenest to do that; and that is the main reason why we would cast our vote for them."
The Economist praised Labour prime minister Gordon Brown's response to the global credit crisis, but tempered this by criticising him for pouring money into public services during his decade as finance minister until 2007.
It concluded that Labour, in power since 1997 when Tony Blair won the first of three successive victories, had run out of steam.
"Above all, the government is tired. Mired in infighting and scandal, just as the Tories were in 1997, New Labour has run its course," it said.
The Economist has a circulation of close to 200,000 in Britain and 1.4 million worldwide. It is widely read by people in financial services and the higher echelons of business.
Opinion polls show the centre-right Conservatives or Tories leading the election race, but suggest they may not have enough support to command an outright majority in the 650-seat parliament.
A strong showing by the Liberal Democrats has seen them overtake Labour in some polls and complicated the electoral arithmetic.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has shone in televised debates, but the Economist said the party's policies were less appealing.
"To the extent that elections are holidays from normal politics, Mr Clegg has been a delightful holiday romance for many Britons; but this newspaper does not fancy moving in with him for the next five years," it said.
The Economist is part-owned by the Financial Times, itself part of the Pearson media group.