Skulduggery!

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Evidence emerges of Indyref vote scam
BY ANDREW PICKEN, 28 DECEMBER 2014 7.00AM.


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Allyson Thomson opens some of the first Scottish Referendum postal votes at the MacRobert Pavilion at the Royal Highland Centre, in Edinburgh, as they arrive ahead of the count on the September 18th. Picture date: Friday September 12, 2014.
PA Wire/Press Association Images
Proxy vote ‘misused by thousands’.

There were hundreds of attempts to illegally influence the outcome of Scotland’s independence referendum, a damning new probe has found.

The Sunday Post has learned “several hundred apparently fraudulent applications to register to vote were received” ahead of September’s historic vote.

The alarming disclosure is contained in a report by the officials who oversaw the voter registration process.

It comes only weeks after an investigation by the Electoral Commission found “no evidence” of widespread fraud.

The report by the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA), which represents electoral registration officers (ERO), also revealed there had been “widespread misuse and abuse” of provisions which allowed more than 6,000 people to carry out emergency proxy votes.

These were put in place to enable people who couldn’t make it to a polling station, such as the elderly and disabled, but had not arranged a proxy in advance, to still nominate someone to vote on their behalf.

One ERO even referred a “clear example of a fraudulent application” to the police but was advised that an investigation was “unlikely to be an effective use of resources”.

Police are currently probing 11 potential referendum frauds, including 10 in the Glasgow area.

The SAA report also claimed that the extra resources needed to accommodate a record turnout for the poll added an extra £700,000 to the estimated £13.7 million cost of the referendum.

The SAA is now trying to reclaim that £700,000 from the Scottish Government.

In the document, chairman Ian Milton said the referendum was “the most successful electoral event” in the history of his organisation.

But he said: “The emergency proxy provisions were extremely unsatisfactory. There was widespread misuse/abuse with electors making last-minute applications to vote by proxy where they had clearly missed the absent vote cut-off date.

“Some unsuccessful applicants made repeated applications and ERO resources were placed under undue strain to deal with the widespread misuse/abuse of the emergency proxy provisions.”

In the European elections in May, just 85 emergency proxy votes were cast across Scotland but this soared to 6,690 in the referendum.

The SAA report also revealed EROs had been inundated by queries from expat Scots conveying a “lack of understanding and a feeling of injustice” about not getting a vote.

The “extraordinary demand imposed on EROs and their staff by an extremely engaged electorate” meant offices were open 20 hours a day, seven days a week, in the final 50 days of the campaign.

Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald, who sits on Holyrood’s devolution committee, said: “This report certainly raises questions and we owe it to the 3.5 million people who did vote in the referendum to ensure that all instances of fraudulent activity are properly examined.”

Police Scotland Superintendent Jim Baird added: “Our specialist crime division is currently investigating 11 potential impersonation offences.

“These relate to members of the public arriving at a polling station to vote, only to be told that someone else had already been in and used their identity to vote.”

In the wake of the referendum, police and local councils were swamped with complaints about alleged fraud and illegality.

One related to Scottish Tory Party leader Ruth Davidson, who was quizzed by police over allegations pro-Union campaigners illegally counted postal votes in the weeks before the independence referendum ballot closed.

A staggering 100,000 people also signed an online petition demanding a re-run of the event. A poll published earlier this month revealed 34% of voters think the referendum was marred by fraud.

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216 days ago
Keith Houston
The greatest fraud regarding the Referendum was conducted by the Main Stream Media. Systematic reporting of UK Government reports as if they were unbiased, structuring reportson TV and Radio in favour of BetterTogether. As a result we haven't really decided anything. The VOW postponed things, next year's general election will show if The Smith Commission meets the needs of the Scottish people.
LikeReplyShare16 replies39

215 days ago
Jamie
Reports on the BBC were of course going to be biased. The BBC may have to be unbiased in matters regarding politics however in national matters they are to act in the best interest of the United Kingdom and maintaining the union was in the best interest of the rest of the UK.
LikeReplyShare15 replies2


209 days ago
Royal Mile
Oil Price slump, John Swinney would be knocking on the door of the IMF, asking for a huge loan to maintain Public Services, Welfare and Pensions, had Scotland been stupid enough to vote for Independence madness,.thank God Scotland voted NO.
LikeReplyShare13 replies1

209 days ago
Jim Sloan
Not quite true, is it?

Since Scottish independence would not be until the middle of 2016.
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203 days ago
Aaron Sneddon
As above. Funny that you put thank "God", yet another mythical creature, just like all the mythical junk spouted by all the Westminster parties that are now in-fighting!
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203 days ago
Alex Walker
So will the UK Government the price drop affects them to !!!
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203 days ago
Sean Mulholland
Yer lost. In space m8 brain none
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203 days ago
Archie George
please wake up and stop the propaganda rubbish we would have been fine we would have got our billions from the free bank of england well our share of the money in it that we helped build
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203 days ago
Scott Bowie
so you're suggesting that having an extra 90% oil revenue to share among 5 million vs the unions current 9% and share among 65 million would be a worse situation?
do you need a calculator?
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201 days ago
Nautilus Kamerynn
if scotland recovered the nautical miles stolen by the 1999 agreement to redefine Scotlands border(maritime) then john swinney wouldnt need to go cap in hand to the IMF.....saor alba gu bràth
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147 days ago
Iain Gillespie
stats since the referendum show higher growth in Scotland with oil having no negative impact ,but also remember at present Scotland gets 8.93%of revenue raised by oil if we were independent we would get 100%of any revenue raised ,so do the maths jamie the pricewould have to drop considerably lower to put us in a worse position than we are now

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147 days ago
Abbey Cocker
What a dim wit we would not be independent for another year yet ,
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146 days ago
Alex nc9
what a stupid comment this one is , the fact of the matter is that at the lowest  of the oil price  the Tax revenue taken to Westminster is $35 per barrel out of this Scotland recieves ONLY $3.5 per barrel even at the higher prices Scotland does NOT get what is in fact rightfully Scotlands revenue , also as was stated during the run up the oil revenue was surplus to the requirements of the Scottish ecconomy so get it into your thick head Swinney would not be knocking on the IMF door in fact according to J P Morgan England within two years would be knocking on Scotland's door to Borrow

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146 days ago
CaringforScotlandIsN­atural
Why do you believe scots to be unable to run an economy with or without oil? Why do you believe that scottish people are unlike all other nations of five million, completely unable to manage their own income and outgoings? (This is a question asked by my 12 year old relative - can you explain?)
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145 days ago
Cove
We would have had 90% of the oil revenue we send to Westminster not the 8% they give us back.Might have been more if Rifkind and Blair had not secretly gifted England some of our sea bed territory,

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143 days ago
rex_elvis
The referendums over learn to live with that and now help Scotland to have a stronger voice within the uk
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202 days ago
cath
not in my opinion Jamie.
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216 days ago
ali
You need to stop being a right wing tory paper I always believed the sunday post to impartial and in the interests of Scotland thats why nobody buys it nomore being biased towards westminster was a bad move on the sunday post part
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216 days ago
Warren Sutherland
The Sunday Post knows its' readers. Mostly old people who don't like change. This was why they appeared to favour the establishment and not because of any editorial right wing bias.
LikeReplyShare2 replies4


215 days ago
Stuart Phillips
lol and where you get that information from cause most of the old people were postal votes, tory and labour run care homes how do you think they conducted the vote for the old people as they didnt let people in from the yes camp in, the 27% that voted yes proudly walken in themselfs.
LikeReplyShare1 reply3

213 days ago
jim
tory and labour run the care homes lol most are independent companies funded by the scottish goverment where did you hear this please share the stupidity made me laugh
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216 days ago
Brian Mcardle
Brought up with the sunday post ,never missed an issue till i got older,heard about ,the paper never allowing a union to protect workers rights,bought the scots mag  for years ,but no more
LikeReplyShare11


216 days ago
Derek McCulloch
I was brought up by my parents who bought the Sunday Post on a regular basis. As I got older and thought more about 'real' peoples' realities and their real predicaments, I quite quickly saw the right wing angle of such news reporting. The Sunday Post might have given you the Broons and Oor Wullie but they continued to perpetuate the Calvinistic belief  that we owe allegiance to a country, south of us, which cannot tolerate a socialist belief in ourselves. The 'Post' gave people the feed of subservient platitudes which would keep us all thinking that we were safe and secure in our own individual shortbread tartan tin and that journals like the 'Post' would continue to keep this going. NO Longer will the people of Scotia allow this propoganda to continue. The Scots are now saying NO to Wastemonster domination and papers like the Sunday Post, will no longer cajole the Scottish people anymore.  
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216 days ago
So What?
Ha ha ha ha!
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This comment has been deleted
1 reply


216 days ago
Gary Scott
Man with an agenda..

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216 days ago
AndyMcC
Having received three opportunities to vote myself I phoned the voting body and was told that they trusted me to bite once, as I did.  Never mind fraudulent, incompetent, more like.
LikeReplyShare6

216 days ago
Green
What next is the pope a catholic?

-Entire towns did not recieve their polling cards which lead to first time voters thinking they were not registered and not showing up.
-Some of those who knew better did show up, only to be told someone else voted in their place.

-Many postal votes didnt even make it to the voters, who were not allowed to vote on the day despite this.

-The no crowd got to open up the ballot boxes in private, the take it i  to be counted on front of witnesses.

These are just some of the things I know of first hand, theres alot me Iv seen and heard of since that day.
Do you actually belive a country would vote for crime and poverty at an unimaginable scale, to shower a foriegn bigot with luxuries?
LikeReplyShare1 reply19


214 days ago
loopeyange
I believe every word you're saying - I'm from England and had hoped Scotland would get the chance to be free of Westminster...I only wished I lived in a County in England that could be given the same chance!!....but to hear these reports if vote rigging/fraudulent claims? It makes me feel so sad for everyone who DID vote, and felt so passionate ( whatever way they voted - it was your choice - and Right ) about a key moment in history. I can imagine my sadness, if it were my vote, would be sheer anger and a justified reason for all claims of fraud to be looked at thoroughly. It appears that hasn't happened

It also makes me fearful for the upcoming 2015 General Election - I couldn't bear to have one of the famous 4 ( the beeb and other channels alike are giving virtually no airtime to the 5th - Greens ) #LibLabConKippers in power,  or in coalition, come May
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216 days ago
Gary Scott
It seems as if the UK government anticipated this situation.  In the terms of The Edinburgh Agreement, David Cameron on behalf of the UK government, had stated that there would be no recount and the result, as declared, would be final.  So, regardless of fraud, no devote or recount could be demanded.  That said, legal action SHOULD be taken against activists leaking results, abusing postal votes of the elderly/infirm and those who fraudulently claimed postal votes to which they were not entitled.
LikeReplyShare1 reply11


202 days ago
Evelyn Milligan
Not anticipated Gary, arranged!
LikeReplyShare1

215 days ago
Ian Logan
What's the betting that most of the 'fraud' arose came from the nasty nats.
LikeReplyShare2 replies0


203 days ago
Aaron Sneddon
What a useless comment.
LikeReplyShare3

146 days ago
CaringforScotlandIsN­atural
Do you mean the BRITISH nationalist nats or the English nats or the Welsh nats or the scots nats... Remind us what 'nats' means again?
LikeReplyShare1


215 days ago
Ben Vogelsang
Wow 34% !? I knew something was up when the silence was not broken- early that morn !
LikeReplyShare0


215 days ago
Gordon Derry
"allegations pro-Union campaigners illegally counted postal votes"?
Ruth Davidson stated this on camera!
That was no "allegation" it was a clear statement of guilt!
LikeReplyShare9

215 days ago
dizzy
Wipe out the corrupt Wastemonster parties in Scotland in May.
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215 days ago
Patrick Early
The fact that there were NO exit polls at any voting offices for the most important vote in Scottish history says it all for me. Maybe someone didn't want us to know something until it had been fixed.  ABSOLUTELY UNHEARD OF


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214 days ago
Paul Watson
The commission obviously didn't look very hard. Fair my bahooky.

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214 days ago
JASTINTO
THE biggest scam is the 15 billion oil revenuse lies by the SNP,keep it up 45s and you will have Ulster in our cites
LikeReplyShare4 replies1


214 days ago
Gordon Murray
Is that supposed to be some kind of threat? How are you going to threaten the population of Scotland when they return a majority of nationalist MPs to Westminster in May and Unionist MPs representing Scotland are reduced to single digits?
LikeReplyShare3 replies6


203 days ago
Derek Inglis
I agree but we all saw the Unionists violence in Freedom Square when we get Independence they probably will try to turn Scotland into another Northern Ireland they are really just thugs
LikeReplyShare2 replies2

203 days ago
Danta
As if those committing the violence speak for half of the country's population?
Is that really what goes through your head, that because out of the thousands of people that voted on either side, the violence of so few dictates how the country is going to be run?
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146 days ago
CaringforScotlandIsN­atural
Unionist bully thugs ... It's the same auld song and whist 'protecting their traditions' include eradicating human beings who don't think EXACTLY as they do about their previous tradition of a political 'sacrosanct' agreement made undemocratically 307 yrs ago- somehow we mustn't bring up the 'bullying'
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214 days ago
Gordon Murray
I visited nursing homes in the run up to the referendum and it became clear to me that an unscrupulous individual could easily acquire access to postal or proxy votes of residents for their own ends. I have since wondered that the largest proportion of NO votes came from the over 65s. Coincidence?
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210 days ago
Royal Mile
Sick of Fairytale Politics from the SNP, thank God Scotland voted NO.
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209 days ago
Albaman
Just like the "Royal Mile" your going downhill !.
LikeReplyShare6 replies0


208 days ago
Royal Mile
Independence... Madness, the United Kingdom is the most respected democracy in the World.
LikeReplyShare4 replies0

203 days ago
Hhgghhgg
Hey high Street. You're one of them that believes what he's told aren't you.
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203 days ago
Duncan Cunningham
Seriously its a bunch or rich boys stealing from us all no matter what bunch get in no one respects it not unless their dumber than a fence post that is
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203 days ago
twopointzeroabz
Really?
Buy whom exactly?
By the Palestinians perhaps, I'm sure they'll respect our £8bln of weapons sales to Israel to assist in ethnic cleansing and genocide.
How about those Syrians, you know the ones we sold gas to for their government to then commit genocide within their own borders. We then backed the bombing of Syria as a response to them using our gas to kill them.
There there is the 45000+ Libyans we killed 2 years ago
Iraqis are bound to have a lot of respect for us as well after several invasions and then leaving them to ISIS.
ISIS, now they'll respect us since we helped fund them, arm them and then bomb them as well when they turn on us
Just like the Taliban did after we assisted the US in funding them throughout the 70's and 80's until Bush snr wanted to put ` pipeline through the country and they wanted a bit too much cash for his liking so Blair hired out our armed forces to flatten their country and guard their heroin fields.
Then theres the Russians, Chinese, Pakistanis, Indians... all have a deep rooted hatred for our constant gerrymandering in their affairs. Our press tells us they love a human rights violation but dont bother to mention how many US 'prisoners' we've assisted in the rendition of.

And people wonder why we're hated and these so called terrorist groups are killing our soldiers abroad and plotting to blow up our trains, buses and airports.

Respected? We are hated and rightly so.
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146 days ago
CaringforScotlandIsN­atural
Nothing wrong with alliances.. But when you live in England your vote matters - when you live in Scotland or Wales your vote does NOT. The only value your vote has in UK elections is to bolster up the left wing choices of England in the HOPE that THISE values and policies will benefit all four nations. My ancestors fought for votes.. I don't like that when I live in England as a tax payer my vote is more valuable than when I vote as a Scot resident.
Explain why THATS 'great' for me?
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203 days ago
Alan Lunny
September was the month you and your pals betrayed scotkand
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203 days ago
Aaron Sneddon
God is mythical, just like all the junk that you and all the other gullible NO voters swallowed, GOD help ya!
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146 days ago
CaringforScotlandIsN­atural
What about scots who wanted the ability to vote ANY kind of political group in, to manage their resources that they HAVE to send to London for ENGLANDS majority to chose how to spend?
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146 days ago
Steven Mcgregor
One day youll wake up in the real world, until then, lets take it from the top......
Baa baa pink sheep
Have you got a clue
No sir no sir
You are just a fool
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203 days ago
Catriona Mackenzie Hyde
Westminster had decided well in advance that the whole outcome of the referendum would swing their way.
Fraud was paramount.
Good people who voted no, had an unofficial exempt and false vote.
The same applies to good Yes voters.
"Great Britain" and its elite, were never going to give up its oil...you can bet your Barracks on that one!
Other oil rich countries have been taken over by the exact same powerhouses, that ripped freedom from our fingers, again.

Only collectively can we storm the gates of London, and demand to have our home and land and hearts ruled by us, without the use of swords or cannon.
As for our Scots ex-patriots, we too had our mouths shut, regardless of where we had to venture to feed and house our bairns. We can thank Cameron for that, he knew we wouldve all come home to help our brothers and sisters build Scotland up to the place we knew already existed...out of her sleep and into the fore.
Saor Alba
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203 days ago
Tattie Howker
The most surprising thing to me, We now have" skilled journalists" admitting that they have never read and some never heard of the Macrone Report  I find this astonishingly almost unbelievable and clearly demonstrates the need for a shake up in the media so the public can get a level of journalism that it deserves, no wonder the sales of some newspapers is on the decline.
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203 days ago
David Hamilton
I voted at Dalry primary school in Edinburgh at 0720 there were 23 people in the polling station 8 yes badges 2 no badges and i was given a fake ballot  no number writen on the top right hand corner and no bar code on the reverse did that mean the other 13 people were all voting no. said at the time the vote was fixed.
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202 days ago
William King
Went to the police about that have you?
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203 days ago
Cathy
What about purda ..it didn't exist   ...and I don't  think for one minute it was a legitimate  and fair  referendum ........x
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202 days ago
BCCletts
I had voting cards for around 10 extra votes, thanks to the a system which keeps people on the electoral roll apparently indefinitely - I noticed this 8 years ago when I looked at the opportunity presented by transferable votes to break the one-colour council we had had locally for decades - comparing notes with others we found many examples. In one close, out of 18 registered voters in 8 2-person rented flats just 2 actually were still living there.  A media personality long moved to London still had a vote for her long vacated address, and I'm sure even a small local check by local newspaper and radio reporters could easily come up with double figure 'ghost voter' counts.  It has certainly made me ponder on whether the 'low turn-out' claims for some votes might actually be due to an over-counted electoral roll.

I did suspect that there were a few 'dirty tricks' on both sides, but I favour the ca' canny approach on making no great song and dance over every little detail, but letting the waters build up and present a case for change that was sought but scunnered which cannot be side-stepped.

We will need to be vigilant, as many will be trying every trick on both sides to get the result they want. Openness and having no secrets is the way and speaking out you see others keeping those secrets. I suspect that this was not the first vote in which bus-loads of voters were invited to come in to the modern equivalents of Keir Hardie House to be given help in registering for postal and proxy votes.

The real worry is that those taking on the mantle of any Scottish Parliament will perpetuate the style which gave us the wasteful extravagance of the edifice on the edge of Holyrood Park, when the preparation of the old High School was already in place, and would have delivered a sensible functional building, not unlike the Danish Parliament I gather.
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202 days ago
Jessie Bauchope Young
I have no doubt vote rigging went on. Those teenagers taking part in the B.B.C debate who were asked to say they were against Indy, even if they weren't shows the BEEB in a bad light again.
There should of course be an inquiry, BUT--in Politics, it's you rub my back etc-- don't rock the boat too hard and all that.
Would Nicola really want an inquiry? She should do the next best thing, and call for another Indy vote.As soon as. And there should be completely independent observers at all the ballots.
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202 days ago
Jessie Bauchope Young
I have no doubt rigging went on. And as for the press, many teenagers who were taking part in a B.B. C debate were asked to say they were against Indy, even if they were not.
The fact that Nicola has not asked for an inquiry speaks volumes about Politics--those debates are all for show--behind the scenes, it's you scratch my back etc.
She should ask for another Indy vote NOW. Sadly, all of us who did decide to vote for Indy, and who joined the camp, will slowly drift away if she doesn't act.
And all ballot places should have independent observers.
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202 days ago
Morag Clark
Was never going to Happen America would never allow it, they don't want their missiles back! Funny how oil prices have suddenly dropped! Where are all the revenues from all the previous years oil, no oil fund, wasted on Westminster.
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202 days ago
Morag Clark
Independence was never going to happen America don't want their missiles back. What happened to all the oil revenues from the previous years, wasted on Westminster!
LikeReplyShare0
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ANDREW PICKEN
@andrewpicken1
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Political Editor

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