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Andy Knowles

@cubitses.bsky.social
120 followers 206 following 25 posts

Another disappointed former Labour member turned Green.

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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Our energy bills are out of control. Meanwhile, the banks are making huge windfall profits and paying bumper bonuses. Can you join me and sign this petition calling on the chancellor to introduce a windfall tax on bank profits to cut energy bills? www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/ta...
megaphone.org.uk
Tax the banks — cut our bills!
Our energy bills are out of control. Meanwhile, the banks are making huge windfall profits and paying bumper bonuses. Sign this petition calling on the chancellor to introduce a windfall tax on bank ...
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We Own It @weownit.org.uk · 27/09/2026
Reject the defeatist lie that it's too hard to take our public services into public hands Our NEW REPORT explains how Andy Burnham can deliver public ownership Take 2 mins to send it to your MP now: vist.ly/5j26v Thank you so much, John MacDonnell, for your strong support
Screenshot of a tweet by John MacDonnell that says "This new report from  @We_OwnIt   should add pace to the development of Labour's commitment to public ownership. Decades of experience have proved control of essential services and natural resources will not be enough. Ownership not regulation has to be the way forward."
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Interest on Reserves: The £100bn UK Bank Subsidy You Fund. Banks making £50bn profits a year receive subsidies, long ended by the EU. UK Treasury will payout over £150bn over a five-year period from 2023 to 2028. No justification for handling billions to banks. End bank subsidies, help people.
babelfish.news
Interest on Reserves: The £100bn UK Bank Subsidy You Fund
The Bank of England has paid commercial banks £100bn in interest on reserves in three years. The EU stopped doing it in 2023 – Dale Vince says Britain must too.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Neoliberals want to cut social security, silent on subsidies to banks. Since 2006, Bank of England has paid interest on central bank reserve deposits to commercial banks. The EU & the Swiss stopped similar practice in 2023. UK still paying, £100bn in last 3 yrs. There are better uses of £100bn.
leftfootforward.org
Here’s how the chancellor can raise the billions needed to improve the quality of life of millions
Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward. Mi...
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Big UK banks pocketed £29.2bn in six months while our bills went up! A windfall tax on bank profits would raise £19bn for our schools & NHS. @TheGreenParty's already backing it - sign the petition and tell John Healey to #TaxtheBanks! you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...
you.38degrees.org.uk
#TaxTheBanks
Years of higher interest rates have sent our rent, mortgage, and debt payments soaring, while banks have raked in huge profits for doing absolutely nothing. The big four UK banks (Barclays, HSBC, Ll...
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
theguardian.com
Top economists urge Burnham to sign UK up to UN initiative on global inequality
Open letter signed by 40 academics including Nobel winner Joseph Stiglitz and Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Level
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Richard Murphy @richardjmurphy.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
What else can Trump get wrong? All he now does is fail. youtu.be/oovfz6IAoA0?... We have enough evidence now: Trump is a disaster. When is the world going to be rid of him, his politics and his look-alikes here in the UK?
youtu.be
What else can Trump get wrong? All he now does is fail.
YouTube video by Richard J Murphy
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I’ve signed a letter calling for Angela Eagle and Ofwat to reject the last-ditch deal from Thames Water's creditors. Can you sign and share it as well? weownit.org.uk/act-now/sign...
weownit.org.uk
Sign our open letter to Angela Eagle
I’ve signed a letter calling for Angela Eagle and Ofwat to reject the last-ditch deal from Thames Water's creditors. Can you sign and share it as well?
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
UK income tax personal allowance frozen at £12,570 since 2021. If increased in line with inflation, it would be £16,048 for 2026/27. As a result, in 2026/27 someone earning £17,000 will pay additional £696 in income tax and £278 in national insurance. All because govts appease the rich.
leftfootforward.org
We need to abolish state-sanctioned poverty
No one is ever born poor. They are condemned to poverty by societal policies which prevent millions from realising their full physical, mental, and intellectual capacities potentialities.
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We Own It @weownit.org.uk · 06/06/2026
“In Wales, all new profit-making in this sector was stopped in April, and the practice is being phased out altogether. But in England, the government seeks only to tweak this immoral and dysfunctional system.” Add your name to end profiteering in children’s care: weownit.org.uk/act-now/no-p...
Guardian headline that reads “Horrific, unregulated and very profitable: the companies making cash from England’s children in care”
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Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
🔥 over 87,000 now! Check out the link.
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Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Where did it all go wrong? "We should treat the 2017 manifesto as our foundational document, the radicalism and the hope that that generated across the country was real. Anybody who knocked on a door in that election knows it was real. So we have to hang on to that as we go forward"
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Thames Water wants to set its own rules. The Board of Ofwat is split over whether to let them. Tip the scales in favour of people and planet: email the Board now, and urge them to reject Thames Water's creditors @weownit.org.uk tinyurl.com/85m396az&nbs...
tinyurl.com
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Our public services aren’t for a secretive profit-hungry US tech firm. Sign the petition to tell the Government to scrap all contracts with secretive US tech firm Palantir. you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/st...
you.38degrees.org.uk
Stop Palantir taking over our public services!
Our public services aren’t for a secretive profit-hungry US tech firm. Sign the petition to tell the Government to scrap all contracts with secretive US tech firm Palantir.
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Thames Water's creditors want to set a new low for privatised water by asking Ofwat to sign off on a deal which allows them to break the rules. Ofwat are poised to agree. We can't let them. Email your MP now: weownit.org.uk/act-now/the-...
weownit.org.uk
The Thames Water creditors are closing in on a deal - urge your MP to stop them
An action to write to MPs urging them to reject the Thames Water creditors' attempts to takeover the utility, signing off on pollution till 2030
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/en...
you.38degrees.org.uk
End tax breaks on oil and gas
Sign the petition to stop the giveaway and demand a fair jobs plan needs major people power right now.
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
UK government should end rail outsourcing ‘racket’, says union
RMT estimates six cleaning, security and catering suppliers made £150m profits last year
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
UK PM Keir Starmer to woo voters & MPs with plan to cut cost of living. Can't be done without curbing profiteering, increasing real wages, democratizing the workplace, equitable distribution of income/wealth. Start by ending privatisation of water/energy.
theguardian.com
Keir Starmer to woo voters and MPs with new year plan to cut cost of living
PM to highlight energy bill and interest rate cuts, plus end to two-child benefit cap, and to invite his MPs to Chequers
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
The world’s 500 richest people have total wealth of $11.9tn. Their wealth up by $2.2tn in 2025. 8 billionaires accounting for a 25% of the gains. No one becomes this rich by working. They fund right-wing parties, oppose worker/human rights, cause more pollution than normal people.
theguardian.com
Billionaires added record $2.2tn in wealth in 2025
Just eight billionaires accounted for a quarter of the gains, led by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison and Larry Page
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We Own It @weownit.org.uk · 16/10/2025
❌ Thames Water want to pollute ILLEGALLY for the next 15 years. Thousands of you have already said NO by signing our petition ✉️ Next? We're taking it to Ofwat's inbox ✍️Take 1min now to send an email to Ofwat, explaining why they must say no to 15 more years of illegal pollution
weownit.org.uk
Email Ofwat - say NO to 15 years of illegal pollution
Email Ofwat - say NO to 15 years of illegal pollution
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National Rejoin March @marchforrejoin.co.uk · 12/12/2025
Let's get this to 2k before the end of the weekend 😍🇪🇺 Please Sign and Share... petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
petition.parliament.uk
Petition: Commit to a referendum in May 2028 asking the next government to rejoin the EU
Polls show that many people of the UK believe leaving the EU was a mistake. It is time politicians stopped ignoring the views of the people. The government needs to consult the people about what to do...
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
UK energy bill payers to hand £2bn a year in subsidies to EDF, owned by the French govt, for building two nuclear power stations. That will come handy in keeping energy prices down in France, improving govt finances. Dividends won't be taxed in the UK. All because UK govts oppose public ownership
theguardian.com
UK energy bill payers will hand £2bn a year to EDF for new power stations
French government-owned company to receive funding for Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
This is how Rachel Reeves could deliver a progressive budget. Billions available without increasing the rate of income tax, National Insurance or corporation tax. Just end some of the perks for a select few, anomalies and abuses. Redistribute to alleviate poverty, better infrastructure.
leftfootforward.org
This is how Rachel Reeves could deliver a progressive budget
The chancellor has an opportunity to boost the public purpose and deliver redistribution
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Bremain in Spain @bremaininspain.com · 16/11/2025
Disgusting when Chief executive Louise Beardmore is paid £840,000 every year! United Utilities has reported a 131% increase in profit for the 6 months ending on 30/9. That follows ‘regulator’ Ofwat approving a five year plan to raise people’s bills in the North West by 32%, starting April 2025.
thecanary.co
United Utilities just hiked your bills—and saw a 131% profit surge
United Utilities is paying more than half the profit to shareholders, exposing its ‘infrastructure investment’ claims as a PR smokescreen
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
UK electricity bills up 163% since 2008. Wages haven't. 6.1m households in fuel poverty, £4.43bn debt Profiteering: Energy sector average profit margin 23%, grid sector 38%, gas extraction 58%. Profit last year £30bn. 128,000 a year die in fuel poverty. No govt checks profiteering.
insidermedia.com
Electricity bills increased 163 per cent since 2008 as energy price cap rises - research - Insider Media
New analysis of UK energy costs showed that the average annual household electricity bill increased by 163 per cent between 2008 and 2024, reflecting a steep rise in household energy costs…
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EuropeanPowell @europeanpowell.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
URGENT: 6 WEEKS LEFT - We're 743 signatures away from forcing a Government response The UK Government is rolling out freeports and free zones nationwide with billions in taxpayer money, yet operates with an alarming lack of transparency. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...
petition.parliament.uk
Petition: Transparency and Review of the free zones and ports impacts
To ensure full transparency by releasing data on governance, funding, and operations of free zones. Plus a public review to assess impacts, such as job displacement and value for taxpayers money
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Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
#C4News: "Israels arms imports from the UK have hot record high values in recent months"
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
weownit.org.uk/act-now/new-...
weownit.org.uk
Say no to new PFI in our NHS - take action
The government’s new 10-Year Plan for Health is proposing to bring disastrous private finance deals back into our NHS.
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
The PFI disaster Wes Streeting readies more of the NHS for privatisation. Hands £6m to advisers. NHS will be a shell doling out contracts to private equity and corporations. Profits guaranteed. Money will buy less. Higher taxes, lower value. Say NO to privatisation of the NHS.
theguardian.com
Fears of new PFI-style ‘disaster’ as firms handed £6m to advise on using private funds for NHS clinics
Exclusive: Consultants and lawyers hired to advise on using public-private partnerships to build ‘neighbourhood health centres’ in England
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Tax Justice UK @taxjusticeuk.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
From taxing private jets to closing offshore loopholes, and more. Here's how we could make our economy fairer and raise £60 billion to revitalise key services to deliver first class healthcare, education and more. taxjustice.uk/blog/how-to-...
taxjustice.uk
How to raise £60 billion for public services: our ten tax reforms
The UK’s super-rich have accumulated record levels of wealth in recent years, while our public services have been decimated and inequality has soared.
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Cat Hobbs @cathobbs.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Since privatisation in the 1980s, we the public have paid *almost £200bn* to shareholders Your household has paid £250 extra a year since 2010 for this ideology Excellent new study from @cmmonwealth.bsky.social 👇 Time to take back OUR public assets 💧💡🚌🚄📮 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
UK public has paid £200bn to shareholders of key industries since privatisation
Analysis reveals ‘privatisation premium’ of £250 per household per year paid to owners of water, rail, bus, energy and mail services since 2010
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Keir Starmer may have just served up the worst political slogan of all time | Simon Hattenstone
‘Delivery, delivery, delivery’ isn’t just vacuous nonsense – it’s emblematic of the prime minister’s leaden-footed approach to politics, says Guardian writer Simon Hattenstone
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
Ofwat/Govt promised this to England's water company investors. “right to collect” revenues from customers, “opportunities for upside”, “capped liabilities” and “investment positive” ... “no exposure to competitive or market stranding risks” This is a licence to fleece people. archive.ph/brCru
ft.com
UK water watchdog woos investors with ‘guaranteed revenues’ as it seeks £50bn
Funds are needed to back projects to improve Britain’s crumbling water infrastructure
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Michael Taylor @ausindimedia.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
“New wealth of top 1% surges by over $52.4 trillion since 2015 – enough to end poverty 22 times over.” Just once would do… if they bothered. theaimn.net/new-wealth-o...
theaimn.net
New wealth of top 1% surges by over $52.4 trillion since 2015
Oxfam Media Release New wealth of top 1% surges by over $52.4 trillion since 2015 – enough to end poverty 22 times over, as Oxfam warns global development “abysmally off track” ahead of crunch talks. ...
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Cat Hobbs @cathobbs.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
Thames Water's greedy creditors have *no leverage* Investors have written down their stakes to ZERO The company's debt can be WIPED OUT using existing legislation The creditors can't offer a better deal than permanent public ownership What is the government waiting for?
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
Public ownership of England’s water companies could cost close to zero, says thinktank
Exclusive: Common Wealth report argues debt, pollution and underinvestment justify process known as special administration
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
John McDonnell calls for grassroots leadership challenge to Starmer government
In opinion piece for the Guardian, former chancellor says party members, unions and MPs should ‘take back control’
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ma...
theguardian.com
UK’s 50 richest families hold more wealth than 50% of population, analysis finds
Equality Trust says billionaires getting ‘ludicrously’ richer, with top two now wealthier than whole of 1990 rich list
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Bold leadership isn't just my leadership. It's the thousands of you that I've been campaigning with on countless action days. It's the leadership in your communities for people who don't yet even know the Green Party will give them the real representation they urgently need.
Hastings Green Party photoNathalie, Zack and members in Tower Hamlets.Group of members posing for a photo.
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We Own It @weownit.org.uk · 14/05/2025
Day 9 of Lois asking Steve Reed to join her at the football. ⚽ Something stinks about Thames Water's sewage plant upgrade costs. How can it be 15x more expensive than building a new one in other countries? Perhaps Environment Secretary Steve Reed can tell her? #LoisvSteve
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
Private shareholders made dividends of £3.6 billion from owning our trains in the last decade. Yet the government is leaving our trains fully privately owned. Sign We Own It's petition to demand they take our trains into public ownership: weownit.org.uk/act-now/take...
weownit.org.uk
Petition: Take our trains into public ownership | We Own It
The government is taking railway operators into public ownership, but the trains themselves will remain in private hands. The government must take our trains into public ownership.
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
weownit.org.uk/act-now/lets...
weownit.org.uk
Let's bring water into public ownership | We Own It
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Richard Murphy @richardjmurphy.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
Neoliberalism has failed, but the Labour government is wedded to it. No wonder they’re so frightened. They realise that we might rumble that they, too, are a bunch of failures. youtu.be/rdm0ntUEwdc?...
youtu.be
Our politicians seem to be terrified of us. Why is that?
YouTube video by Richard J Murphy
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National Rejoin March @marchforrejoin.co.uk · 26/03/2025
Brexit hurt our economy more than COVID and PUTIN combined #RejoinEU is the biggest boost poss to our economy. In the face of cuts, when there's clear alternatives is unforgivable, and will further push people to Reform. We can't afford Brexit. Pls sign petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
petition.parliament.uk
Petition: Hold a referendum on re-joining the European Union
I want the government to hold a referendum on whether the UK should Rejoin the European Union.
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
leftfootforward.org/2025/03/uk-g...
leftfootforward.org
UK governments are failing to curb corporate tax abuses and leaving people to pay the price
Governments remain obsessed with austerity and choose not to inconvenience the rich or curb tax abuses by corporations.
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
stoptrump.org.uk/petition-can...
stoptrump.org.uk
Petition: Cancel Trump’s state visit
Stop Trump Coalition
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Andy Knowles @cubitses.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Privatised water has failed. Just look at your water bills or the sewage pouring into our rivers. Steve Reed - include public ownership as an option in your independent commission on the water sector. Sign the petition weownit.org.uk/act-now/stev...
weownit.org.uk
Steve Reed: include public ownership as an option in your independent commission on the water sector. | We Own It
Steve Reed must put public ownership back on the table.
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Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
With todays news that energy bills are set to rise again in April, when he interviewed the head of Ofgem last year Adil Ray read out the huge profits made by the profiteering energy companies & the massive salaries paid to bosses All the head of Ofgem could do was nod along
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Feargal Sharkey - fan @feargalsharkey.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Government's failure to take control of Thames Water means almost £1billion of customers' money will be squandered - How is this good for anyone but financial parasites and predators? www.windrushwasp.org/single-post/...
windrushwasp.org
Throwing almost £1billion down the drain.
It has been a heavy day, so this is a short blog to make clear what happened today at the High Court. Mr Justice Leech handed down a decision that will allow the proposed Thames Water restructuring pl...
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