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Merseyside’s only Conservative MP has been accused of ‘trying to distance himself’ from the Tories with his latest leaflet.

The criticism comes after Southport MP Damien Moore this week issued a newsletter with a green colour scheme and only one use of the word ‘Conservative’.

One Southport resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “It’s really odd how the word ‘Conservative’ is almost completely missed out, it’s like he’s trying to distance himself from the Tories.”

Another said: “It’s so bizarre, I thought it was from the Green party until I read it.”

However a spokesman for Mr Moore, who lives in Preston, says he has a lifelong affiliation with the Conservative Party.

He said: “Most Members of Parliament elect to use the House of Commons parliamentary green for constituency newsletters and other literature for obvious reasons, including enabling constituents of all political affiliations to feel comfortable contacting their MP about sensitive casework matters.

“Readers will appreciate that MP’s staff - paid for by the taxpayer - must remain neutral and would, therefore, be unable to respond to constituents who require assistance if correspondence contained the Conservative Party logo.”

Meanwhile, Southport’s Labour Parliamentary candidate Liz Savage has said the content of the leaflet is ‘nothing more than Damien’s usual spin, focusing in on very small circumstances and avoiding the bigger picture.’

She said: “Here he’s claiming apparent success for a few million pounds coming back to Merseyside Police when around £120 million in central funding has been cut from them.

“Over £4 million of this £5.2 million came from the rise in council tax bills. I don’t think many Southport residents would see paying more council tax for a thousand or so fewer officers locally as a ‘success.’