The Conservative Party has been severely criticised for making dozens of electioneering phonecalls to Merseyside residents during the Hillsborough 25th anniversary memorial service.
Almost 25,000 people packed into Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield stadium on Tuesday to remember the 96 fans who lost their lives in Britain’s worst sporting disaster.
A total of 73 residents in the county received electioneering phonecalls during the service, the Tories said.
Resident Mal Jones, from Meols, Merseyside, told the Liverpool Echo he received a call as shadow health secretary Andy Burnham paid tribute to Hillsborough campaigners inside the stadium.
‘There was a phonecall while we were watching Andy Burnham speak. We were watching it because our daughter was at the service. I was watching to see if I could see her,’ he said.
‘Then the phone went and a woman spoke. She asked for my wife at first and then she asked are there any issues that are on your mind that are affecting your constituency?
‘I said “excuse me. Do you know what’s happening at the moment?” She then apologised for calling.’
He added: ‘It was the wrong time to call. It was ill-judged. It seemed outrageous to me. It showed a lack of awareness.’
A spokesman for the Conservative Central Office said: ‘We apologise to anyone living in Merseyside who was upset by receiving a call at this time.’
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- Members of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign group embrace as they arrive at Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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- Members of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign group march to Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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- General view during the memorial. the 96 dead are remembred by scarves made up of all UK football family : Action Images / Jason Cairnduff
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- Members of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign group march to Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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- Scarfs and balloons are placed in front of the Kop stand on the Anfield pitch to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in Liverpool, Britain, 15 April 2014. Ninety six Liverpool fans lost their lives during an English FA Cup semi final soccer match at Hillsborough in Sheffield 25 years ago. EPA/PETER POWELL
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- Liverpool’s (r-l) Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger and Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Glen Johnson, arrive for the Hillsborough memorial, during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool. : Martin Rickett/PA Wire
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- Young fans during the screening of the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Goodison Park, Liverpool.: Lynne Cameron/PA Wire
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- A memorial shows names of people who were killed during the Hillsborough Disaster with lights highlighting names as they are read out during a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England on April 15, 2014. Thousands attended a service at Anfield football stadium in Liverpool as the city came to a standstill on April 15 to mark the 25th anniversary of the day 96 football fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough stadium disaster when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie in 1989. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
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- Scarves on the pitch during the screening of the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Goodison Park, Liverpool.: Lynne Cameron/PA Wire
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- Thousands of people attend a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England on April 15, 2014. Thousands attended a service at Anfield football stadium in Liverpool as the city came to a standstill on April 15 to mark the 25th anniversary of the day 96 football fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough stadium disaster when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie in 1989. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
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- A general view during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool. : Martin Rickett/PA Wire
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- A mourner stands next to the scarfs which are tied to the Shankly gates outside Anfield to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in Liverpool, Britain, 15 April 2014. Ninety six Liverpool fans lost their lives during an English FA Cup semi final soccer match at Hillsborough in Sheffield 25 years ago. EPA/PETER POWELL
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- Flowers are laid at the Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in Liverpool, Britain, 15 April 2014. Ninety six Liverpool fans lost their lives during an English FA Cup semi final soccer match at Hillsborough in Sheffield 25 years ago. EPA/PETER POWELL
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- A floral tribute is placed beside the Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in Liverpool, Britain, 15 April 2014. Ninety six Liverpool fans lost their lives during an English FA Cup semi final soccer match at Hillsborough in Sheffield 25 years ago. EPA/PETER POWELL
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- A man holds up a scarf remembering those who have died in football disasters over the years during a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England on April 15, 2014. Thousands attended a service at Anfield football stadium in Liverpool as the city came to a standstill on April 15 to mark the 25th anniversary of the day 96 football fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough stadium disaster when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie in 1989. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
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- Everton football club’s Spanish manager Roberto Martinez steps forward to give a reading during a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England on April 15, 2014. Thousands attended a service at Anfield football stadium in Liverpool as the city came to a standstill on April 15 to mark the 25th anniversary of the day 96 football fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough stadium disaster when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie in 1989. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
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- Tributes to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster : Action Images / Andrew Boyers
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- Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and team mates during the memorial : Action Images / Jason Cairnduff
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- People attend a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England on April 15, 2014. Thousands attended a service at Anfield football stadium in Liverpool as the city came to a standstill on April 15 to mark the 25th anniversary of the day 96 football fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough stadium disaster when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie in 1989. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
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- A man cries (during a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England on April 15, 2014. Thousands attended a service at Anfield football stadium in Liverpool as the city came to a standstill on April 15 to mark the 25th anniversary of the day 96 football fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough stadium disaster when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie in 1989. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
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- (L-R) Everton’s Spanish manager Roberto Martinez, an unknown man and Liverpool football club players Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger and Luis Suarez attend a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, northwest England on April 15, 2014. Thousands attended a service at Anfield football stadium in Liverpool as the city came to a standstill on April 15 to mark the 25th anniversary of the day 96 football fans were crushed to death in the Hillsborough stadium disaster when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup tie in 1989. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images
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- Tributes to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster : Action Images / Andrew Boyers
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- Sheffield Wednesday chairman Milan Mandaric lays a wreath during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Hillsborough, Sheffield.
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- A Nottingham Forest fan pays his respect to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in Market Square, Nottingham.
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- Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Merlita Bryan, pays her respect to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in Market Square, Nottingham.
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- Kenny Dalglish and wife Marina Dalglish attend the memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, at Anfield Stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Liverpool FC – Handout/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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- Luis Suarez of Liverpool attends the memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, at Anfield Stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Liverpool FC – Handout/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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- Jamie Carragher of Liverpool attends the memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, at Anfield Stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Liverpool FC – Handout/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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- A woman walks past a Hillsborough tribute banner as fans arrive in Anfield for a memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Bells across the City of Liverpool will ring during a one minute silence. A total of 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX***
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- Scarves donated by fans of Liverpool are placed on empty seats during the memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, at Anfield Stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Liverpool FC – Handout/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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- Tom Werner part owner of Liverpool lays a scarf down in the middle of the pitch during the memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster, at Anfield Stadium on April 15, 2014 in Liverpool, England. Thousands of fans, friends and relatives are attending the service at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives during a crush at an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough football ground in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1989. (Photo by Liverpool FC – Handout/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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- Tommy, aged two, and his sister Millie Biggadike, aged four, whose grandfather Thomas Howard died in the tragedy look at tributes outside the Leppings Lane entrance ahead of the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Hillsborough, Sheffield.
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- A Liverpool fan wipes away tears during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool.
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- A Liverpool fan wipes away tears during the Hillsborough 25th Anniversary Memorial Service at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool.
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