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Brexit: The UK's letter triggering Article 50

 

Here is the full text of Theresa May's letter to European Council president Donald Tusk, beginning the start of Brexit negotiations:

 

Dear President Tusk

On 23 June last year, the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. As I have said before, that decision was no rejection of the values we share as fellow Europeans. Nor was it an attempt to do harm to the European Union or any of the remaining member states. On the contrary, the United Kingdom wants the European Union to succeed and prosper. Instead, the referendum was a vote to restore, as we see it, our national self-determination. We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe - and we want to remain committed partners and allies to our friends across the continent.

Earlier this month, the United Kingdom Parliament confirmed the result of the referendum by voting with clear and convincing majorities in both of its Houses for the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The Bill was passed by Parliament on 13 March and it received Royal Assent from Her Majesty The Queen and became an Act of Parliament on 16 March.

Today, therefore, I am writing to give effect to the democratic decision of the people of the United Kingdom. I hereby notify the European Council in accordance with Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union of the United Kingdom's intention to withdraw from the European Union. In addition, in accordance with the same Article 50(2) as applied by Article 106a of the Treaty Establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, I hereby notify the European Council of the United Kingdom's intention to withdraw from the European Atomic Energy Community. References in this letter to the European Union should therefore be taken to include a reference to the European Atomic Energy Community.

This letter sets out the approach of Her Majesty's Government to the discussions we will have about the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union and about the deep and special partnership we hope to enjoy - as your closest friend and neighbour - with the European Union once we leave. We believe that these objectives are in the interests not only of the United Kingdom but of the European Union and the wider world too.

It is in the best interests of both the United Kingdom and the European Union that we should use the forthcoming process to deliver these objectives in a fair and orderly manner, and with as little disruption as possible on each side. We want to make sure that Europe remains strong and prosperous and is capable of projecting its values, leading in the world, and defending itself from security threats. We want the United Kingdom, through a new deep and special partnership with a strong European Union, to play its full part in achieving these goals. We therefore believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the European Union.

The Government wants to approach our discussions with ambition, giving citizens and businesses in the United Kingdom and the European Union - and indeed from third countries around the world - as much certainty as possible, as early as possible.

I would like to propose some principles that may help to shape our coming discussions, but before I do so, I should update you on the process we will be undertaking at home, in the United Kingdom.

The process in the United Kingdom

As I have announced already, the Government will bring forward legislation that will repeal the Act of Parliament - the European Communities Act 1972 - that gives effect to EU law in our country. This legislation will, wherever practical and appropriate, in effect convert the body of existing European Union law (the "acquis") into UK law. This means there will be certainty for UK citizens and for anybody from the European Union who does business in the United Kingdom. The Government will consult on how we design and implement this legislation, and we will publish a White Paper tomorrow. We also intend to bring forward several other pieces of legislation that address specific issues relating to our departure from the European Union, also with a view to ensuring continuity and certainty, in particular for businesses. We will of course continue to fulfil our responsibilities as a member state while we remain a member of the European Union, and the legislation we propose will not come into effect until we leave.

From the start and throughout the discussions, we will negotiate as one United Kingdom, taking due account of the specific interests of every nation and region of the UK as we do so. When it comes to the return of powers back to the United Kingdom, we will consult fully on which powers should reside in Westminster and which should be devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But it is the expectation of the Government that the outcome of this process will be a significant increase in the decision-making power of each devolved administration.

Negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union

The United Kingdom wants to agree with the European Union a deep and special partnership that takes in both economic and security cooperation. To achieve this, we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU.

If, however, we leave the European Union without an agreement the default position is that we would have to trade on World Trade Organisation terms. In security terms a failure to reach agreement would mean our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened. In this kind of scenario, both the United Kingdom and the European Union would of course cope with the change, but it is not the outcome that either side should seek. We must therefore work hard to avoid that outcome.

It is for these reasons that we want to be able to agree a deep and special partnership, taking in both economic and security cooperation, but it is also because we want to play our part in making sure that Europe remains strong and prosperous and able to lead in the world, projecting its values and defending itself from security threats. And we want the United Kingdom to play its full part in realising that vision for our continent.

Proposed principles for our discussions

Looking ahead to the discussions which we will soon begin, I would like to suggest some principles that we might agree to help make sure that the process is as smooth and successful as possible.

i. We should engage with one another constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation. Since I became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom I have listened carefully to you, to my fellow EU Heads of Government and the Presidents of the European Commission and Parliament. That is why the United Kingdom does not seek membership of the single market: we understand and respect your position that the four freedoms of the single market are indivisible and there can be no "cherry picking". We also understand that there will be consequences for the UK of leaving the EU: we know that we will lose influence over the rules that affect the European economy. We also know that UK companies will, as they trade within the EU, have to align with rules agreed by institutions of which we are no longer a part - just as UK companies do in other overseas markets.

ii. We should always put our citizens first. There is obvious complexity in the discussions we are about to undertake, but we should remember that at the heart of our talks are the interests of all our citizens. There are, for example, many citizens of the remaining member states living in the United Kingdom, and UK citizens living elsewhere in the European Union, and we should aim to strike an early agreement about their rights.

iii. We should work towards securing a comprehensive agreement. We want to agree a deep and special partnership between the UK and the EU, taking in both economic and security cooperation. We will need to discuss how we determine a fair settlement of the UK's rights and obligations as a departing member state, in accordance with the law and in the spirit of the United Kingdom's continuing partnership with the EU. But we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU.

iv. We should work together to minimise disruption and give as much certainty as possible. Investors, businesses and citizens in both the UK and across the remaining 27 member states - and those from third countries around the world - want to be able to plan. In order to avoid any cliff-edge as we move from our current relationship to our future partnership, people and businesses in both the UK and the EU would benefit from implementation periods to adjust in a smooth and orderly way to new arrangements. It would help both sides to minimise unnecessary disruption if we agree this principle early in the process.

v. In particular, we must pay attention to the UK's unique relationship with the Republic of Ireland and the importance of the peace process in Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is the only EU member state with a land border with the United Kingdom. We want to avoid a return to a hard border between our two countries, to be able to maintain the Common Travel Area between us, and to make sure that the UK's withdrawal from the EU does not harm the Republic of Ireland. We also have an important responsibility to make sure that nothing is done to jeopardise the peace process in Northern Ireland, and to continue to uphold the Belfast Agreement.

vi. We should begin technical talks on detailed policy areas as soon as possible, but we should prioritise the biggest challenges. Agreeing a high-level approach to the issues arising from our withdrawal will of course be an early priority. But we also propose a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. This should be of greater scope and ambition than any such agreement before it so that it covers sectors crucial to our linked economies such as financial services and network industries. This will require detailed technical talks, but as the UK is an existing EU member state, both sides have regulatory frameworks and standards that already match. We should therefore prioritise how we manage the evolution of our regulatory frameworks to maintain a fair and open trading environment, and how we resolve disputes. On the scope of the partnership between us - on both economic and security matters - my officials will put forward detailed proposals for deep, broad and dynamic cooperation.

vii. We should continue to work together to advance and protect our shared European values. Perhaps now more than ever, the world needs the liberal, democratic values of Europe. We want to play our part to ensure that Europe remains strong and prosperous and able to lead in the world, projecting its values and defending itself from security threats.

The task before us

As I have said, the Government of the United Kingdom wants to agree a deep and special partnership between the UK and the EU, taking in both economic and security cooperation. At a time when the growth of global trade is slowing and there are signs that protectionist instincts are on the rise in many parts of the world, Europe has a responsibility to stand up for free trade in the interest of all our citizens. Likewise, Europe's security is more fragile today than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Weakening our cooperation for the prosperity and protection of our citizens would be a costly mistake. The United Kingdom's objectives for our future partnership remain those set out in my Lancaster House speech of 17 January and the subsequent White Paper published on 2 February.

We recognise that it will be a challenge to reach such a comprehensive agreement within the two-year period set out for withdrawal discussions in the Treaty. But we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU. We start from a unique position in these discussions - close regulatory alignment, trust in one another's institutions, and a spirit of cooperation stretching back decades. It is for these reasons, and because the future partnership between the UK and the EU is of such importance to both sides, that I am sure it can be agreed in the time period set out by the Treaty.

The task before us is momentous but it should not be beyond us. After all, the institutions and the leaders of the European Union have succeeded in bringing together a continent blighted by war into a union of peaceful nations, and supported the transition of dictatorships to democracy. Together, I know we are capable of reaching an agreement about the UK's rights and obligations as a departing member state, while establishing a deep and special partnership that contributes towards the prosperity, security and global power of our continent.

Yours sincerely

Theresa May

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-39431070

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1 hour ago, karbatal said:

She can it shit.  Let's cooperate in economics and security but all foreign people out.  

She can go and fuck herself and all the racist Brexiters too. 

 

Si la caza europeos británicos fuera de su preciosa isla, se puede dar una patada en el culo a todos los expatriados británicos en España, por favor?

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"We have to be very clear about what country we wish to become" - So says Lord Kerr of Kinlochard who drafted Art 50.

What is that country you wish us to become?

That's complicated for me as I'm deeply unhappy about what it will do to regions of the UK including Northern Ireland. It also affects how I feel about my national identity, complicated for me because of my all Ireland family. This whole badly handled business has tipped me and many others from the feeling of being British to feeling Irish and European.

So, if I'm trying to answer Lord Kerr's question, I'm fearful not for myself but for my family and our current generation of young people who do not have insular thinking.

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5 hours ago, karbatal said:

By the way,  Merkel strategy is so great :lmao:. First negotiate the divorce and only afterwards the future relationship.

That leaves UK with no margin to negotiate at all. 

Don't mess with Queen Angie.:lol:

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"She said that if Britain leaves the EU’s single market, her business would lose crucial licencing rights and that an EU subsidiary would be set up in a country that is likely to remain in the EU, in order to be able to provide seamless coverage to customers."

If I were a continental European I would want nothing to do with the UK anymore

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/lloyds-of-london-to-set-up-a-european-insurance-company-in-brussels-after-brexit-eu-europe-a7657201.html

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5 hours ago, BrendanT1993 said:

"She said that if Britain leaves the EU’s single market, her business would lose crucial licencing rights and that an EU subsidiary would be set up in a country that is likely to remain in the EU, in order to be able to provide seamless coverage to customers."

If I were a continental European I would want nothing to do with the UK anymore

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/lloyds-of-london-to-set-up-a-european-insurance-company-in-brussels-after-brexit-eu-europe-a7657201.html

I am a continental European. I share that sentiment on your last sentence.

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The UK Government has always been like that neighbour who thinks he's better than you,  even if his son smokes pot all day,  the wife fucks around and the daughter got pregnant at 15. 

Just because all mafias in the world along with guns dealers parade their Porches around Kensington,  you are not richer,  nor better,  nor superior to any Portuguese,  Spaniard,  Bulgarian or Italian.  If only,  you only have less scrupulous politicians (and that's saying). 

What really makes me sad is the real people,  those who work hard, know the world and feel comfortable among immigrants.  And that's a big chunk of British population. 

 

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Week in Review: A cold dose of reality for Team May

9k=

If you put a frog in boiling water, it jumps out. If you put it in cold water and slowly turn up the heat, it will sit there and boil to death without noticing. Looking at the reality of Britain's EU predicament now, just a couple days into Article 50, everything feels a million miles away from where we were even a few weeks ago. It bears no comparison whatsoever with the  fevered optimism of the referendum campaign.

Back then, the Brexiters promised free unicorns to everyone and a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. There'd be more money for the NHS, more control for the British people, everyone would know their neighbours again and a friendly bobby would stroll on every street. Today, the conversation is, at the very best, about minimising the negative repercussions of Brexit. It has gone from a solution to everything to a problem for everyone.

Once upon a time Boris Johnson implied Europe needed us more than we needed them. David Davis told us that we would go to individual member states to strike up trade agreements. Liam Fox told us he would finalise trade deals with non-EU countries while we were conducting Brexit negotiations.

All of that is false. Today's draft guidelines from Donald Tusk at the Council of the European Union showed that Europe is in complete control of the negotiation process. Britain is barred from holding bilateral talks with EU member states on Brexit during negotiations and it cannot negotiate trade deals with other countries at the same time either.

The balance of power is evident throughout. The British demand that talks on the divorce run in parallel with talks on the future trade relationship are dismissed. Instead, "the European Council will monitor progress closely and determine when sufficient progress has been achieved to allow negotiations to proceed to the next phase". The wording tells you everything about the dynamics of the negotiation. They are in control. They decide when they are ready to move to the next stage.

Davis' vision of a UK-German trade deal was always fantasy, but it's now clear even bilateral meetings on Brexit are ruled out. "So as not to undercut the position of the Union, there will be no separate negotiations between individual member states and the United Kingdom," the paper reads.

The attitude to the thorny budget issue, in which the EU is demanding around £50 billion for financial items and pensions, seems unchanged. "A single financial settlement should ensure that the Union and the United Kingdom both respect the obligations undertaken before the date of withdrawal," it reads. This refers to promises in the current seven-year financial period, which lasts to the end of 2020. It therefore means we're on the hook for seven quarters after our March 2019 exit. Then it says: "The settlement should cover all legal and budgetary commitments as well as liabilities, including contingent liabilities." That seems to refer to pensions. No discernable movement on any of these issues.

May has been speaking for months about British firms ability to have "access to and operate within" the single market. We've heard it so much from her that it almost trips off the tongue. That gets very short shrift here.

"Preserving the integrity of the single market excludes participation based on a sector-by-sector approach," the draft guideline says. Any future free trade agreement could not "amount to participation in the single market or parts thereof". It is remarkable to see months of prime ministerial rhetoric dismissed with a flick of the pen in Brussels.

May spoke of agreeing the final terms of the free trade deal during the Article 50 window, then getting it ratified across the EU, before initiating an "implementation period" for it coming into force. That gets short shrift too.

The EU only envisages "preliminary and preparatory discussions" towards a trade deal. This second phase of negotiation, which starts when it is satisfied with the Budget issue, would only create an "overall understanding on the framework of the future relationship". The deal would only be "finalised and concluded" once the UK is out the EU. Transitional arrangements must be "clearly defined, limited in time, and subject to effective enforcement mechanisms". And when a future trade deal is signed, "it must ensure a level playing field in terms of competition and state aid, and must encompass safeguards against unfair competitive advantages through, inter alia, fiscal, social and environmental dumping". That suggests Britain will still not have control over its environmental standards, state aid rules and other issues, even outside the EU, despite having lost any voice in formulating them.

There are positives in the document. The EU commits to trying to avoid a chaotic no-deal scenario, although it says "it will prepare itself to be able to handle the situation also if the negotiations were to fail". It reiterates that it wants the UK as a close partner in future. It says it intends to "reduce uncertainty" and "minimise disruption". It commits to "flexible and imaginative solutions" to avoid a hard border in Ireland. And it wants a deal on EU citizens in the UK and British citizens in the EU as "a matter of priority".

But generally this is a cold splash of water in the face for the May team. It shows how quickly their rhetoric falls apart in the face of a stronger negotiating partner. All those optimistic promises from Brexit campaigners and government ministers disappear as soon as the European position emerges.

Britain is now the junior partner in a negotiation which will define its economic future. It is operating to a timetable set by the larger partner, according to rules imposed by them, with an end-result that they have decided without us and which contradicts the stated aims of the UK government. If people were asked whether they wanted this nine months ago their answer is unlikely to have been particularly encouraging. Put the frog in boiling water and it jumps out. But if you raise that temperature bit by bit, if you degrade expectations steadily, it hardly notices what is happening. 

This is the reality of what taking back control entails. Two more years to go.

http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2017/03/31/week-in-review-a-cold-dose-of-reality-for-team-may

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1 minute ago, promise to try said:

everything is really sad, and, even though I think the biggest losers are going to be the britons, here in the EU there´s no reason to be happy if one of the big countries goes away

true

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There has been much talk of the issue of Brexit and the effect it will have on Gibraltar on the news and in the papers today... Gibraltar brings sadness to many Irish Anti Imperialists as three Irish people were murdered on the Rock of Gibraltar unarmed by a British right wing Imperialist death squad.. One Mairead Farrell is an icon to Feminist and Socialists local and International all three are icons to Anti Imperialist everywhere..Gibraltar does not belong to Britain it is part of Spain not Britain ...The British should hand the island of Gibraltar back to Spain and it should demilitarize all its military bases there and everywhere ...Britain out of Gibraltar.. Britain out of Northern Ireland ..Spain out of the Basque country ..Hand liberty back to all countries under Occupation... End Imperialism everywhere ...

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1 hour ago, BrendanT1993 said:

There has been much talk of the issue of Brexit and the effect it will have on Gibraltar on the news and in the papers today... Gibraltar brings sadness to many Irish Anti Imperialists as three Irish people were murdered on the Rock of Gibraltar unarmed by a British right wing Imperialist death squad.. One Mairead Farrell is an icon to Feminist and Socialists local and International all three are icons to Anti Imperialist everywhere..Gibraltar does not belong to Britain it is part of Spain not Britain ...The British should hand the island of Gibraltar back to Spain and it should demilitarize all its military bases there and everywhere ...Britain out of Gibraltar.. Britain out of Northern Ireland ..Spain out of the Basque country ..Hand liberty back to all countries under Occupation... End Imperialism everywhere ...

But if we are truly living in democratic times shouldn't the citizens of Gibraltar have a say? Give those people a referendum and see where they choose to stay. 

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Apparently May would go to war with Spain to "stand by" the people of Gibraltar. Barely few days after Article SHIFTY has been invoked and there is war-talk already. Oh but the almighty superior divided kingdom could be getting its blue British passports back. No money for the NHS but £500 millions are disposable over the color of an adorable old-fashioned passport. How wonderful to take back control, especially when manipulated to do so.

C8ZvKsAXkAEZ3NG.jpg

 

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'There could be no flights to and from UK for months after Brexit' - Ryanair chief

  • O'Leary praises minister Shane Ross for his handling of Bus Eireann dispute
  • Brexit is the 'longest suicide note in history' and UK will pull back

Z

Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary has revealed that flights to and from Britain could be cancelled in the weeks immediately after Brexit.

Speaking to Ivan Yates on Newstalk this morning, the airline CEO said he doesn't know what Britan's divorce from the EU will mean for the airline industry.

Mr O'Leary has explained that the UK is planning to leave the 'Open Skies' arrangement as part of the Brexit negotiations and he claims this will mean they will need to negotiate bilateral arrangements with European partners within the next two years.

"I think the Europeans are looking around and saying: 'how do we teach the British a lesson? Maybe cutting off flights for three months after March 2019 he will begin to understand what is going on.'

"Explaining passporting of financial services doesn't appeal to the guy in Hull or Grimsby or in Leicester that he can't go on holiday to Spain, now he begins to understand the risk. That there will not be flights to and from the UK for a couple of months or a couple of weeks after March 2019 is one of the ways that you demonstrate to Joe Public that this is what is happening."

Mr O'Leary said he believed that the UK "doesn’t have a clue what they’re doing".

And the airline chief predicted that Brexit may not actually happen, calling on Ireland to stand firm with EU nations.

"The closer you push Britain to the cliff edge in March 2019, I think the Tory party will turn back in on itself  and realise that leaving the largest trading bloc is a stupid idea.

"It's the longest suicide note in economic history and I think they will pull back. it is in Ireland's interests to stick with the Europeans."

He continued: "I see no upside for Britain leaving."

Mr O'Leary also shared his thoughts on the Bus Eireann strike. He said his solution for the public sector transport crisis would be to "privatise the entire industry".

"Ryanair has proven long ago that transport belongs in the private sector. The government is incapable of running a low-cost or efficient service."

Mr O'Leary said minister Shane Ross has "played a blinder" on the Bus Eireann dispute by staying out of it.

"You will only get common sense from the unions when they realise that they can't blackmail the government."

Mr O'Leary said there was no need for a minister for Transport.

"We deregulated airline travel and it was one of the greatest successes of the European Union. The state has no business being involved in public transport because the state is crap at running transport.

"In the same way as it is crap at running television and radio stations."

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/there-could-be-no-flights-to-and-from-uk-for-months-after-brexit-ryanair-chief-35586402.html

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11 hours ago, BrendanT1993 said:

There has been much talk of the issue of Brexit and the effect it will have on Gibraltar on the news and in the papers today... Gibraltar brings sadness to many Irish Anti Imperialists as three Irish people were murdered on the Rock of Gibraltar unarmed by a British right wing Imperialist death squad.. One Mairead Farrell is an icon to Feminist and Socialists local and International all three are icons to Anti Imperialist everywhere..Gibraltar does not belong to Britain it is part of Spain not Britain ...The British should hand the island of Gibraltar back to Spain and it should demilitarize all its military bases there and everywhere ...Britain out of Gibraltar.. Britain out of Northern Ireland ..Spain out of the Basque country ..Hand liberty back to all countries under Occupation... End Imperialism everywhere ...

Basque Country has nothing to do with imperialism at all. It's a far different issue.  

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5 hours ago, pjcowley said:

Apparently May would go to war with Spain to "stand by" the people of Gibraltar. Barely few days after Article SHIFTY has been invoked and there is war-talk already. Oh but the almighty superior divided kingdom could be getting its blue British passports back. No money for the NHS but £500 millions are disposable over the color of an adorable old-fashioned passport. How wonderful to take back control, especially when manipulated to do so.

C8ZvKsAXkAEZ3NG.jpg

 

Spain has zero interest in taking Gibraltar by force.  This stupid mong simply is trying to shift atention from the fact that citizens from Gibraltar voted 90% to remain because they cannot survive with a closed frontier. 

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1 hour ago, karbatal said:

Spain has zero interest in taking Gibraltar by force.  This stupid mong simply is trying to shift atention from the fact that citizens from Gibraltar voted 90% to remain because they cannot survive with a closed frontier. 

Anyways, it's great EU is supporting Spain on this. It must put its whole weight on Spains side.

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13 hours ago, pjcowley said:

Apparently May would go to war with Spain to "stand by" the people of Gibraltar. Barely few days after Article SHIFTY has been invoked and there is war-talk already. Oh but the almighty superior divided kingdom could be getting its blue British passports back. No money for the NHS but £500 millions are disposable over the color of an adorable old-fashioned passport. How wonderful to take back control, especially when manipulated to do so.

C8ZvKsAXkAEZ3NG.jpg

 

Rupert Murdoch - the face of evil.  He has far too much influence in the World.  

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23 minutes ago, jazzyjan said:

Rupert Murdoch - the face of evil.  He has far too much influence in the World.  

Here, taking back control... cunt him and all the motherfucking Brexiters of this shitty world:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/31/ofcom-must-block-murdoch-sky-takeover-miliband-cable

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