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***‘I am deeply, deeply sorry’ - blundering Sports Secretary writes an open letter to the Liverpool ECHO***

BLUNDERING Tory MP Jeremy Hunt was today called upon to make a formal public apology in the House of Commons for his shocking Hillsborough disaster comments.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was still reeling this morning after wrongly blaming the 1989 tragedy on hooliganism.

Politicians and Liverpudlians lined up to lambast the South West Surrey MP describing his faux pas as “appalling” and “a disgrace”.

The Latin dancing 43-year-old made the mistake on live TV during an interview about England's exit from the World Cup yesterday.

He said: “I was incredibly encouraged by the example set by the England fans, I mean, not a single arrest for a football related offensive and the terrible problems that we had in Heysel and Hillsborough in the 1980s seem now to be behind us.”

As shock at Hunt’s comments rose, the ECHO were told how:

Garston MP Maria Eagle was set to write to the Speaker of the House of Commons to request a “clear-the-air” Parliament debate about the truth behind disaster.

One Hillsborough mum who lost her 18-year-old son in Sheffield demanded to urgently meet Hunt and put a copy the Taylor Report in front of him.

The public school educated minister would be encouraged to stand and give an official explanation at Westminster for his error.

The head boy and Oxford graduate was worryingly unable to give guarantees that the newly-formed Hillsborough independent panel’s funding would not be cut.

Instead, he muttered to Mrs Eagle about “Whitehall matters that needed sorting out”, when pressed about the panel’s future.

Today, Hunt refused to be interviewed by the Liverpool ECHO, but his spin doctors issued a statement which read: “I know that fan unrest played no part in the terrible events of April 1989. I apologise to Liverpool fans and the families of those killed and injured in the Hillsborough disaster if my comments caused any offence.”

But his quickly-penned contriteness failed to wash with many observers, with some calling for him to resign.

Garston MP Maria Eagle said: “He knows he got it wrong. He called me up to apologise. How could he possibly utter the word Hillsborough in the context of hooliganism and bad behaviour?

“It speaks volumes – he doesn’t understand or care what happened.

“At every turn, from the police trying to blame fans, to various establishment figures trying to pin it on the fans, now the Secretary of State is saying it 21 years later. Typing 110 characters on Twitter is not an apology either.”

In the Taylor Report submitted on the tragedy, it unequivocally reproached South Yorkshire Police for a “failure of control” which caused the disaster citing them for not opening the main gate, and for not closing off the tunnel leading to the already overcrowded central pens, a move which proved critical.

Liverpool supporters were absolved of any blame.

Hillsborough Families Support Group chairwoman Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James, 18, on the Leppings Lane terrace, demanded to meet Hunt and told the ECHO: “It’s an absolute disgrace. For a guy of high office to come out and say this, after we’ve fought for 21 years, is appalling. I do not accept his apology and I want a meeting to explain why he said it.”

Labour MP Steve Rotheram said: “Mr Hunt’s remarks are absolutely appalling. It is shocking that a Secretary of State responsible for sport has shown such complete ignorance of one of the worst disasters in the history of British football.”

Liverpool-born MP Andy Burnham, who was instrumental in helping the Hillsborough panel set up, said: “How depressing to see a cabinet minister making the same old slurs about Hillsborough.

“He must now do more than make a simple apology. He must give a full and unequivocal commitment to the work of the Hillsborough independent panel so that the full details of the tragedy and aftermath can be made public.”

Today Tory Home Secretary Theresa May said: “The judicial inquiry was clear – the Taylor Report cleared Liverpool supporters of any allegations they were to blame for the terrible events of April 1989.

“The families of the 96 people who lost their lives in the tragedy have fought a dignified campaign on behalf of their loved ones.

“The Hillsborough Independent Panel is currently working to disclose all public papers into the disaster to ensure there are no more unanswered questions about what happened at Hillsborough.

“I have already met Bishop James Jones, who is chairing the panel, and would be happy to meet family representatives.”

Everything you needed to know about ‘Hillsborough-gaffe’ Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt JEREMY HUNT comes from the same Tory stable as David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

He attended Charterhouse public school in Surrey as a child, where pupils enjoy activities such as fencing, horse riding and rowing. He is the eldest son of Royal Navy Admiral Sir Nicholas Hunt.

Gaining an interest in politics during the Thatcher Years while studying at Oxford University, Hunt was elected as an MP in 2005.

He has considerable wealth after selling a public relations company specialising in IT during the 1990s boom. And before his election as an MP, Mr Hunt ran his own educational publishing business, Hotcourses. Reports estimate his wealth at £4.1m, which did not stop him claiming one pence for a 12-second mobile phone call in his MP expenses.

He taught English in Japan, is a proficient Japanese speaker, and he enjoys Latin dancing.

The 43-year-old is technologically -minded and he launched his own YouTube channel in March, 2008.

Hunt writes his own blog and on his website invites his constituents to visit him at Westminster and climb Big Ben.