Stephen Holden Bates
@stephenholdenbates.bsky.social
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Senior Lecturer in Political Science, Birmingham, UK.
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Stephen Holden Bates
Better Streets for Birmingham
6 days ago
106 people will be killed on Birmingham's roads next council term. Along with 15 organisations, we're calling for Birmingham's future leaders to adopt 10 practical steps to prevent these deaths and many more serious injuries. Who will make Birmingham's roads safer?
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Will you make Birmingham's roads safer?
Better Streets joins with 15 organisations to make ten asks of tomorrow's politicians to address road safety.
https://betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/our-campaigns/birmingham-2026-ten-asks-to-address-the-road-safety-emergency/
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Stephen Holden Bates
Birmingham UCU
7 days ago
âWhen I began teaching, I joined UCU because the people in the union seemed cool â and because I quickly realised I needed to organise with my peers. If youâre feeling isolated or precarious at UoB, BUCU is where youâll find your people.â Betsy Porritt - BUCU Anti-casualisation officer â
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Alan Lester
7 days ago
The Spectator published this attack on me & colleagues just as the High Court is considering Sussexâs request for review of the Office for Students fine. It accuses us of ârepressingâ our students. The magazine ignored my request for to reply. Please disseminate.
alanlester.co.uk/blog/smearin...
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Smearing Sussex (and Me): Responding to Nigel Biggarâs Latest Attack in The Spectator
The University of Sussex, Feb 2026, taken by the author. Alan Lester The Spectator has published an article by Nigel Biggar smearing the University of Sussex as repressing students who âdon&#âŚ
https://alanlester.co.uk/blog/smearing-sussex-and-me-responding-to-nigel-biggars-latest-attack-in-the-spectator/
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Stephen Holden Bates
Birmingham UCU
16 days ago
UoB Professional Services - you make student success happen. Join Birmingham UCU to fight for fair workload and recognition.
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UCU - Join UCU Today
Welcome to UCUâs Membership Portal where you can join the union, manage and update your personal information and find answers to the most frequently raised questions relating to Membership, Employment or the Legal Scheme.
https://join.ucu.org.uk
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Cristina Leston-Bandeira
16 days ago
Remembering David Judge (1950 - 2026). I first met David in 1999. He was such an incredible person, we could do with more Davids in academia. Here is something I wrote when I heard the news last week, published by
@psa-parliaments.bsky.social
:
psaparliaments.org/2026/02/17/r...
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Kinder Scout is nice.
19 days ago
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Look mum, Iâm cited!
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22 days ago
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Stephen Holden Bates
Research Professional News
23 days ago
Scrapping REF should be âseriousâ optionâ, says Manchester VC. Duncan Ivison questions âusefulnessâ of âmassive, bureaucraticâ research assessment exercise.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
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Scrapping REF should be âseriousâ option, says Manchester VC - Research Professional News
Duncan Ivison questions âusefulnessâ of âmassive, bureaucraticâ research assessment exercise
https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-universities-2026-2-scrapping-ref-should-be-serious-option-says-manchester-vc/
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Stephen Holden Bates
UCL Constitution Unit
about 1 month ago
NEW BLOG: Why we need to strengthen and codify small party rights in the House of Commons Louise Thompson explains the obstacles facing small parties and calls on parliamentary institutions to formalise informal arrangements and consider ways to increase equalities of opportunity for all parties
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Why we need to strengthen and codify small party rights in the House of Commons
Following the Unit's January seminar, Can the House of Commons handle multi-party politics?, panellist Louise Thompson explains the procedural and logistical obstacles facing small parties in the House of Commons. She calls for parliamentary institutions to adapt their processes, and concludes that formalising some current informal arrangements and looking at ways to increase equalities of opportunity across all opposition parties would be sensible next steps.
https://constitution-unit.com/2026/01/26/why-we-need-to-strengthen-and-codify-small-party-rights-in-the-house-of-commons/
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Mark Pendleton
about 1 month ago
Monday and the start of a second week of being prevented from working by my employer, the University of Sheffield. Management has decided that massive damage to staff morale, student experience and the universityâs reputation is worth it in a futile attempt to break the union. Shame on them.
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Stephen Holden Bates
Birmingham UCU
about 1 month ago
HSE found UoB failed to follow its own stress policy, had inadequate stress risk assessments and no effective monitoring of stress. This is about legal duties, not âwellbeing extrasâ.
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Birmingham reprimanded over management of work-related stress
Investigation by Health and Safety Executive found institution âdoes not have appropriate arrangements in placeâ to manage burnout among staff
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/birmingham-reprimanded-over-its-management-work-related-stress
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Stephen Holden Bates
Jack Bernhardt
about 1 month ago
TRUMP: honk honk honk, I'm a big goose. everyone tells me whenever I enter a room, that's the biggest goose I've ever seen and I say yes. I'm a big goose. in a good way. a lot of Somalians are small stupid gooses but I'm a big goose BBC NEWS: a disciplined Trump sticks to the script on the economy
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Margot Finn
about 1 month ago
'Several universitiesâ undergraduate student intakes fell by between 20 and 30 per cent for this academic year, as many elite institutions reported record numbers.' Sector as a whole accepted 2% more students. Russell Group up 9% (29% of all UK enrolments). 1/3
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Intakes down by a third at some providers, latest Ucas data show
Half of Russell Group universities accept record number of undergraduates, according to end-of-cycle admissions figures
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/intakes-down-third-some-providers-latest-ucas-data-show
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Liam Stanley
about 1 month ago
I'm a bit late to the game on this, but this is exacting overview of the problems with US-style political science is compelling and well-worth reading. But rather than a lack of interpretation, I'd say the major issue is a lack of history (or historicism).
harpers.org/archive/2026...
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In the Land of the Data Blind, by Jason Blakely
Why political science canât grasp Trumpism
https://harpers.org/archive/2026/01/in-the-land-of-the-data-blind-jason-blakely-political-science-trumpism/
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Stephen Holden Bates
Paradise Circus
about 1 month ago
It's Blue Monday Like a stopped clock PR companies are sometimes right. Also like a stopped clock, they need two AA batteries shoved up them and the knob twisted until their hands point in the right direction. Birmingham: Itâs Not Shit, Reason No 12: Mr Blue Sky
paradisecircus.com/2024/11/19/b...
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Birmingham: Itâs Not Shit â Reason No. 12: Mr Blue Sky â Paradise Circus
https://paradisecircus.com/2024/11/19/birmingham-its-not-shit-reason-no-12-mr-blue-sky/
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Stephen Holden Bates
Chris Havergal
about 2 months ago
Ninety UK universities to have posted accounts so far cut 13,300 jobs last year, spending ÂŁ303 million on severance pay - sector-wide total clearly going to be well in excess of predicted 10,000. Great reporting by
@patrickjack.bsky.social
www.timeshighereducation.com/news/pay-spe...
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Pay-off spend up by two-thirds as universities shed 13,000 jobs
Analysis of UK sector accounts shows number of job losses well above predictions, with experts warning cuts are not over yet
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/pay-spend-two-thirds-universities-shed-13000-jobs
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Stephen Holden Bates
Times Higher Education (THE)
about 2 months ago
The average salary among Russell Group leaders increased above ÂŁ350,000 last year, despite these universities losing almost 7,000 staff members due to cost-cutting.
Patrick Jack
crunches the numbers #highered #academicsky
https://ow.ly/gJK850XU77K
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Very pleased to have presented on this panel, although disappointed that I couldn't be there in person because of the snow...
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about 2 months ago
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Stephen Holden Bates
Margot Finn
3 months ago
'An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the Russell Group university âdoes not have appropriate arrangements in placeâ for managing workplace stress and was unable to demonstrate that it is managing the risks associated with excessive workloads.' 1/2
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Birmingham reprimanded over its management of work-related stress
Investigation by Health and Safety Executive found institution âdoes not have appropriate arrangements in placeâ to manage burnout among staff
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/birmingham-reprimanded-over-its-management-work-related-stress
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Thanks to
@philbc3.bsky.social
for a very interesting talk on the crisis of right-wing political reproduction at
@unibirmingham.bsky.social
yesterday!
3 months ago
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Stephen Holden Bates
Cat Neilan
3 months ago
âThe whole system is near-criminal in its ability to harvest public money so that exploitative providers can provide inadequate housing & support to vulnerable people" For our last Naked Week-Observer investigation of the year, we delve into exempt accommodation
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
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âEven Dickens would be lost for wordsâ: inside the supported housing scandal | The Observer
https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/even-dickens-would-be-lost-for-words-inside-the-supported-housing-scandal
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Excellent article on landlords exploiting lack of robust regulations on supported exempt accommodation and causing misery for tenants and wider communities. A real problem in Birmingham!
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
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âEven Dickens would be lost for wordsâ: inside the supported housing scandal | The Observer
https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/even-dickens-would-be-lost-for-words-inside-the-supported-housing-scandal
3 months ago
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Thanks to
@houseofcommons.parliament.uk
and
@houseoflords.parliament.uk
for another brilliant visit! University of Birmingham ftw!
4 months ago
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Traditional photo of traditional early start for
@unibirmingham.bsky.social
visit to
@houseofcommons.parliament.uk
and
@houseoflords.parliament.uk
.
4 months ago
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Stephen Holden Bates
ana valdivia
4 months ago
Given that people is asking me for the numbers, here the table provided by UKRI:
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Stephen Holden Bates
ana valdivia
4 months ago
After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results: - AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2% - ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1% - ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%
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Stephen Holden Bates
UCL Constitution Unit
4 months ago
Meg Russell is now giving oral evidence to @commonsproccom.parliament.uk with @marcgeddes.uk and @stephenholdenbates.bsky.social about elections within the House of Commons. Read Meg, @alanrenwick.bsky.social and Tom Fleming's written evidence đ
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...
. Watch it đ
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22 October 2025 - Elections within the House of Commons - Oral evidence - Committees - UK Parliament
14:30 - Room 16, Palace of Westminster
https://committees.parliament.uk/event/25243/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
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Stephen Holden Bates
Grace Cooper
5 months ago
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN đ The PSA Parliaments Annual Conference 2025 will be hosted by the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of York in conjunction with The White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership on the 27th-28th November!
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Stephen Holden Bates
Paul Seaward
5 months ago
Michael Rush and the Database
historyofparliament.com/2025/10/15/m...
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Michael Rush and the Database - The History of Parliament
We were sad to hear recently of the death of Professor Michael Rush of the University of Exeter. Michael was a pioneering and indefatigable scholar of
https://historyofparliament.com/2025/10/15/michael-rush-and-the-database/
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Stephen Holden Bates
QM_UCU
5 months ago
The VC of Leicester has been announced as the new Chair of UCEA. He's been VC of Leicester since 2019. He's the one responsible for forcing out scholars in ways that employment tribunals showed was not permitted. The the kind of guy UCEA values.
www.collectiveinkbooks.com/zer0-books/o...
#UKHE
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Stephen Holden Bates
Plashing Vole
5 months ago
With thanks to @pressfuturist for remembering that it was Littlejohn v Self, not Bushell v Self, a literary conversation of the ages.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1390...
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Chris Dillow
5 months ago
This. The Tories, Reform UK Ltd & even Labour hate the actually-existing British economy, whose comparative advantage lies in higher education & the creative industries.
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Marc Geddes
5 months ago
đ¨ Job Opportunity! đ¨ Applications are now open for a new 2.5-year postdoc at
@edinburghpir.bsky.social
to examine how parliaments gather, analyse and use different types of knowledge - see the full job listing here:
elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow (SPARK)
We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with experience in the politics of the UK, Scottish, German or Bavarian parliaments to join the UKRI-funded research project, âStudying Parliaments an...
https://elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/13180
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It's that time of year again. đŚ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSM...
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Parliamentary Studies
YouTube video by Stephen Holden Bates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alSMdiMCPbc
5 months ago
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Bloomsbury Set hangout. Nice venue for the Birkbeck / Birmingham /
@psa-parliaments.bsky.social
sponsored workshop on what is a parliament.
6 months ago
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Stephen Holden Bates
Rosie Collington
6 months ago
this is ridiculous
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Philip Cowley
6 months ago
Very sorry to hear of the death of Prof Michael Rush, formerly of Exeter University. He was both an excellent scholar and a lovely kind man, always supportive of his colleagues and fellow academics.
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đ˘đ˘đ˘ First systematic study of House of Commons specialisation in 40 years. đ˘đ˘đ˘ Our typology is not perfect but we think itâs a pretty good startâŚ
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7 months ago
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Henry Miller
7 months ago
#SkyStorians
One day workshop on oaths/oath-taking in Britain/Ireland/British Empire, 1600-present in London, 11 Sept. Supported by
@socialhistsoc.bsky.social
@pastpresentsoc.bsky.social
&
@hisjournalha.bsky.social
. Sign up here
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oaths-and-...
See image for programme.
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Stephen Holden Bates
Joshi Herrmann
8 months ago
Wow. The police have searched seven properties in relation to âbribery and fraudâ at the University of Bolton (sorry, GM). The latest shockwave from
@molliesimpson.bsky.social
âs brilliant investigation for
@manchestermill.bsky.social
.
manchestermill.co.uk/university-b...
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Seven properties raided as police investigate âserious allegations of fraud and briberyâ at the University of Greater Manchester
University officials say the institution remains âfully operationalâ and is cooperating in inquiries
https://manchestermill.co.uk/university-bolton-raids-greater-manchester-police-fraud-bribery-investigation/
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Grace Cooper
8 months ago
Iâm really pleased that the
@psa-parliaments.bsky.social
conference will be at
@uoypolitics.bsky.social
this November! If you work in the field of parliaments or legislative studies please consider applying More details on the website:
psaparliaments.org/annual-confe...
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Annual Conference â PSA Parliaments
https://psaparliaments.org/annual-conference/
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Ralph Scott
8 months ago
I've been working on something on this and here's a sneak peek of recent trends in Politics job adverts on
jobs.ac.uk
Here's a scatterplot and (GAM) trendline showing that the number of advertised politics jobs has pretty much halved since 2021.
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Simon Evans
8 months ago
NEW: Getting to net-zero will be much cheaper than thought for the UK â and unchecked global warming far more costly, says OBR Quick piece / thread with 4 key charts showing, yet again, why climate action is far less costly than inaction đ§ľ
www.carbonbrief.org/...
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Peter Walker
8 months ago
NEW: Big study of low-traffic neighbourhoods in London suggest they cut road injuries and deaths by more than a third within their boundaries with no apparent negative safety effect on nearby roads. This feels a *major* boost for proponents of such schemes.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
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Londonâs low-traffic zones âcut deaths and injuries by more than a thirdâ
Exclusive: Study also finds no change in number of casualties on roads just outside low-traffic neighbourhoods
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/07/londons-low-traffic-zones-cut-deaths-and-injuries-by-more-than-a-third
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Last day to submit!
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8 months ago
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Stephen Holden Bates
PSA Parliaments
8 months ago
What is a parliament? This workshop aims to start a fresh conversation on this classic question in legislative studies. â° You have two more days (deadline Friday 4 July) to submit a brief paper proposal. Sign up details below âŹď¸
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3 days left to submit an abstract to our "What is a Parliament?" workshop!
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8 months ago
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đ˘đ˘đ˘ CfP: What is a Parliament? ***Hurry! Deadline is this Friday!*** Interdisciplinary workshop on 19th September 2025 in London. Full details below. Kindly sponsored by Birkbeck, the University of Birmingham and
@psa-parliaments.bsky.social
Please apply and/or spread the word!
8 months ago
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Stephen Holden Bates
đ˘đ˘đ˘ CfP: What is a Parliament? Interdisciplinary workshop on 19th September 2025 in London. Full details below. Kindly sponsored by Birkbeck, the University of Birmingham and
@psa-parliaments.bsky.social
Please apply and/or spread the word!
9 months ago
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Stephen Holden Bates
Parveen Akhtar
9 months ago
And then, he was chair no more... Zia Yusuf turned Reform into an election winner â his angry resignation leaves Nigel Farage weakened
theconversation.com/zia-yusuf-tu...
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Zia Yusuf turned Reform into an election winner â his angry resignation leaves Nigel Farage weakened
The party chairman resigned after Reformâs newest MP called for a burqa ban in parliament.
https://theconversation.com/zia-yusuf-turned-reform-into-an-election-winner-his-angry-resignation-leaves-nigel-farage-weakened-258382?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=bylineblueskybutton
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