Monday, July 5, 2010

Dont' Trust Government To Help Liverpool Ousts Owners, Warns MP

A Merseyside MP has urged Liverpool supporters not to be naive in thinking that the coalition government will aid them in seeing out the club's American owners.

Steve Rotheram, who previously served as Lord Mayor of Liverpool, fired the warning to fans during an Independence Day rally in Liverpool city centre yesterday afternoon.

Under George Gillett and Tom Hicks' stewardship, Liverpool have been plunged into debts of over £351million since the pair conducted a leveraged buy-out of the club in 2007.

Since being elected MP for Walton, Cllr Rotheram has been highly vocal in Parliament about the Americans' tenure and has called on the government-owned Royal Bank of Scotland to recall their loan agreement.

Cllr Rotheram cited comments last week by Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, that claimed the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which cost 96 Liverpool fans their lives, was caused by hooliganism as an example as to how out of touch the government are with the city.

He said: "I've asked questions and so have my colleagues in the House of Commons to try and get some answers to what's happening with the bank that we own, RBS, and the Tories will not answer those questions.

"This is not a political rally, but don't be naive enough to believe that the Tories will do anything for our football club.

"Just a couple of days ago, Jeremy Hunt thought that Hillsborough was to do with hooliganism - that's how out of touch the Tories are."

Rotheram was joined on stage at St George's Plateau by Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South, whilst Wavertree MP Luciana Berger and Stephen Twigg, MP for West Derby, joined supporters in the 5,000-strong crowd for the event held by Spirit of Shankly.

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