Gareth Kitchen

#Stroud District Councillor | Welsh Independence | Privacy Enthusiast | Green | #FGR

Interests in #Police accountability, #StopSearch and #anti-racism. ex-Town Councillor, ex-Stop & Search Scrutiny Panel. Support Forest Green Rovers. #Stroud Green Party member. #GPEW #Akkoma
Elected Stroud District Council 4th May 2024, but this my private account.

Public Key

npub1wcx4llfh3pjdex6cfg7t5p3vkqs6cfz8cgsnd4yp9w92l04xjpzq4kxyeu

NIP-05 Address

gruff@stroud-social.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs8vr2ll5mcsexundvy5096qcktqgdvy3ruygfk6jqjhz40h6nfq3qpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43qz9thwden5te0wfjkccte9ekk7um5wgh8qatzm8ua20

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relay.ditto.pub

relay.mostr.pub

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npub1wcx4llfh3pjdex6cfg7t5p3vkqs6cfz8cgsnd4yp9w92l04xjpzq4kxyeu

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Last Notes

2026-06-22 05:00:19 UTC

New polling shows two-thirds of Britons want higher levies on big tech. The political will is there. But raising the digital services tax alone won't fix what's broken. We need to go much further.
Because it's not just surveillance advertising that's poisoning our democracy by harvesting our life data. It is the algorithmic manipulation of our social feeds to maximize engagement. Fracturing truth, amplifying rage and undermining reality itself. And these monstrous AI data centres are the engines powering it all.
To start reclaiming what's been stolen from us we need to demand greater regulation; a legislative pincer movement:
✂️ Cut the data flows and mandate strict data minimisation. Enforce real consent, not bogus "I agree" buttons.
💰 Tax what remains. Levy taxes on the value of harvested data, not just revenue, until the business model of surveillance and manipulation becomes unprofitable.
We need a rights-led digital economy, not a market-led one. The public is already there: two-thirds of us want higher levies on big tech. Politicians need to catch up.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/22/uk-tax-higher-levies-big-tech-digital-services
#DigitalRights

2026-06-18 21:51:06 UTC

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@nprofile…rdmk So, if your tactical voting fails, you'll lose both your principle AND your objective. That'll be hard to live with, for me at least.

2026-06-04 09:07:59 UTC

Makerfield by-electionCount Binface - Manifesto.The manifesto includes a includes a mix of national and local pledges, with several references to issues and landmarks we’ll recognise.
Among his pledges:-
Cutting your taxes and raising everyone else’s.
Capping 99 Flake ice creams at 99p and Wigan kebabs at £2.
Rephasing the traffic lights on Liverpool Road to ease congestion.
Ensuring football corners are refereed properly.
Conscripting people who use speakerphone on public transport.
Regenerating the £6.6 million Ashton-in-Makerfield regeneration scheme.
Making cyclists who break the Highway Code ride unicycles instead.
Increasing free parking at the Gerard Centre to three hours.
Declaring Galloway’s Full Monty Bin Lid breakfast Britain’s new national dish.
Increasing Rugby League tries from four points to five “in line with inflation”.
Bringing Ceefax back across Greater Manchester.
#ukpol #makerfield
https://stroud.social/media/c38309cd340b17490133acc5ada44924e687c8b327bef78ab82394f75c751e52.jpeg

2026-05-04 08:21:19 UTC

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@nprofile…65q8
Um, the reason I mention it is because the positions for inlets of water and electric don't seem to be standardised. For me that made alignment very difficult with the 15mm copper inlet.

2026-05-04 08:05:37 UTC

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@nprofile…65q8
My only unsolicited advice is if you are ultimately unable to fix it, ensure you only replace with the same make and model!

2026-04-09 09:53:27 UTC

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@nprofile…65q8 Ooo... Yes.... This is all new to me and I've been going through things (like that) in quite some depth. I want to make a lot of it public. I'm a bit rushed now, but will do a post later.

2026-04-09 09:45:16 UTC

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@nprofile…65q8 Yes! Sorry about the markdown lack of formatting. The risks are so, so slim. It's just that whatever is done, in mitigation, the breach remains, which is black and white and clear in law. I ponder what the ICO would do? I just don't know if it's a valid thing to do (try and justify and continue down this route) or just conceed and use something else, more affordable but less secure. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

2026-04-09 09:30:40 UTC

Can anyone with GDPR/Data Protection knowledge tell me if this is valid GDPR risk assessment/justification? Or would we be laughed at? tbh, I think it’s madness but I guess we are where we are.Justification for Proceeding with CryptPad Without a DPA
Context: We’re a CIC run by 4 people on a volunteer basis and we have less than £3k income. CryptPad will not provide a DPA for subscriptions less than ‘Org 25’ £500pa. Self-hosting is not feasible. This document sets out why, on balance, using a CryptPad DUO subscription (£100pa) without a DPA is the least risky path available to us.The Law Exists to Protect People, Not Paperwork
The core purpose of GDPR is to protect individuals from harm caused by misuse of their personal data. A DPA under Article 28 is a mechanism for achieving that protection — it is not the protection itself.
Our obligation is to the people whose data we hold.
CryptPad’s zero-knowledge E2EE architecture means:
The provider (Cryptpad) cannot read our data, even if compelled to.
No provider employee can browse, leak, or sell beneficiary information.
A server breach yields encrypted blobs, not personal data.
A DPA with a provider who can read the data (e.g. free Google etc.) would be legally tidy but technically weaker. We are choosing substance over form.The Alternatives Are Worse
We must compare like-for-like, not against an ideal: | Option | DPA? | Data Actually Protected? | Cost | | — | — | — | — | | CryptPad (no DPA) | No | Yes — zero-knowledge E2EE | £100pa | | Free Google/Microsoft | Yes (standard terms) | No — provider holds keys, scans content | £0 | | Paper records | N/A | No — physical theft, loss, fire risk | £0 | | Paid E2EE provider with DPA | Yes | Yes | £££ (unaffordable) | | Do nothing, turn people away | N/A | N/A | Harm to volunteers | The only “fully compliant” option we cannot afford. The “legally compliant but technically inferior” option gives a provider unrestricted access to our volunteers’ data. That is the wrong trade-off for a CIC our volunteers serving real people and our community.GDPR Requires Proportionality
GDPR Article 24 requires controllers to implement “appropriate” measures, taking into account:
The nature, scope, context, and purposes of processing. We are a small CIC processing limited personal data for charitable purposes.
The risk to rights and freedoms. Our volunteers’ data is sensitive, which is precisely why we need E2EE.
The state of the art and cost of implementation — zero-knowledge E2EE is the state of the art. The cost barrier to the accompanying paperwork is what prevents compliance, not negligence. Regulators assess harm and intent. A small CIC that chose the strongest technical protection available to it, documented its reasoning, and acted in good faith is not the target of enforcement.We Are Not Ignoring the Gap We Are Documenting It
This is not a decision made in ignorance. We are:
Recording the Article 28 non-compliance explicitly in our risk register.
Accepting the residual legal risk (potential regulatory criticism) as less harmful than the real-world risk of data exposure through a less secure provider.
Committing to obtaining a DPA if and when funds allow or if CryptPad changes its policy.
Minimising the personal data we process through the platform to reduce the scope of any theoretical breach.The Residual Risk We Carry
We are honest about what this decision costs us:
Regulatory risk: If audited, we cannot produce a DPA. We would rely on demonstrating that our technical measures exceeded what a DPA alone would guarantee, and that no affordable alternative existed.
Liability risk: Without a contract, we have no recourse against CryptPad if something goes wrong. We accept this because the likelihood of a meaningful incident under zero-knowledge E2EE is extremely low.
Reputational risk: We must be prepared to explain this decision to stakeholders clearly and confidently, not hide it.Summary Statement
We choose CryptPad (DUO Subscription) without a DPA because it offers the strongest actual protection for our beneficiaries’ data at a cost we can sustain. The legal formality we lack is outweighed by the technical reality we gain. We document this decision, its risks, and our reasoning so that it can be scrutinised and revisited. We do not claim full compliance — we claim responsible, proportionate decision-making in constrained circumstances. This is not the easy route but it is the honest one.

2026-04-01 20:33:21 UTC

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@nprofile…65q8 Yes. I attempted and failed to work out what was best with the names and thought I was there, but clearly not. Sarah has made a similar point and I'll go with her advice (obviously!).
Home address was picked up in earlier thought. It was to be used in conjunction with a conditional bit of the form for DBS, but on refection it should all be stripped out of this form and dealt with seperatly.
Thanks so much for your input. really appreciated. :)

2026-04-01 10:40:11 UTC

I saw a post last week about form data collection that I can't find...... and I've been tasked to develop a form to capture volunteer data for a group I work with.....
I hope I've got things right, I'm certain that it's orders of magnitude better than the Word document that preceeded it! ;)
The Age 18+ choice triggers some conditional, additional collection later in the process.
Please BOOST as feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
DRAFT form here:-
https://cryptpad.fr/form/#/2/form/view/E8BACO5da4nryR6pZ34YkVw03sWLo2wvq+YcKA6OAMY/

2026-03-29 08:39:01 UTC

I too cheered!
Facebook et. al. had it coming, didn't they?
The fallout from this could actually be very, very bad. I didn't appreciate the detail.
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/26/everyone-cheering-the-social-media-addiction-verdicts-against-meta-should-understand-what-theyre-actually-cheering-for/

2026-03-09 03:06:20 UTC

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@nprofile…la7y
Quite, or of ethnic minority.

2026-02-26 19:37:23 UTC

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@nprofile…65q8
Following my heart attack I changed my diet. Nothing too onerous. Porridge for breakfast with chopped fruit. Replaced all snacks with grapes and mixed nuts. Strifry, Asian type meals. Cut out hams, cheese, bacon etc. Skimmed milk insread of full or semi. Sweetners for coffee. In a year I've dropped more than 10kg and feel a lot better for it.

2025-12-14 15:16:36 UTC

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@nprofile…gz5x
With a name like Oracle, they surely will have seen this coming. :)

2025-12-08 17:46:01 UTC

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@nprofile…hzyj tbh, I put the blame squarely at the feet of the Conservative Government. If you remember we hadn't even decided whether we would be in or out of the customs union prior to the vote, let alone any of the other options. It was the Tories who went for the 'hard' option.

2025-10-26 02:42:52 UTC

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@nprofile…gz5x
Govt. doing what Govts should be doing, I guess.

2025-10-12 05:58:48 UTC

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@nprofile…j90y
I was about to pull you up and reply..... But I decided to do the right thing and read the article first.... You covered the points I was going to raise! lol.... Good job.
There's one more topical/tangential point to slide in there though. The age verification Discord leak débâcle.

2025-06-05 06:44:11 UTC

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@nprofile…m8mr I've heard it said that Signal's push isn't well optimised. I seem to remember it was a bit of a problem on my S5 running Cyanogen, way back when. But, nowadays I haven't noticed this by way of battery drain or mobile data usage. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It works fine. Maybe, they've tweaked it over the years?

2025-06-02 08:28:10 UTC

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@nprofile…x759 That's all very well. But a couple of months ago my Mum's village had a power failure (shortly after this upgrade). Her Telecare system failed immediately (yes we could get UPS) as did broadband access. Mobile phone ran out of juice later that day but the signal is poor there anyway. The power was out for two days. :( This is 21st century, 12 miles from the capital of Wales. Not good.

2025-05-29 20:25:39 UTC

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@nprofile…zccm Thank-you. I appreciate that feedback. I do wonder if, over time, genuine engagement, with demonstrable outcomes, could shift that dial?

2025-05-29 18:37:02 UTC

I'm putting a response to an Engagement survey from my local council and its mushroomed into a fedi proposal. It's too long and rambling now. I'd really appreciate some feedback, if you can spare the time.
https://listed.to/p/t3z1vR0B5C

2025-05-25 04:12:30 UTC

Govt. rushing headlong to embrace AI slop. What could possibly go wrong? £££ millions wasted.....
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/19/defra-and-natural-england-creates-unusable-peat-map-with-ai/

2025-04-07 05:43:58 UTC

Bit of a set back. Some more minor chest pain last night, my spray med sorted it after three uses at 5min intervals.
Instructions say if 3 doses don't work call 999. So I called 111 for reassurance/advice. That resulted in an ambulance.
Been in all night. Loads of tests. Now they've discovered a problem. So another angiogram required. Feeling fine though. :)
https://stroud.social/media/82ad7de75133d2868df6ea0a9b1747b9d0eb17bfc3e5b2f9060d37a00de5b707.jpg

2025-01-24 15:37:51 UTC

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@nprofile…x759 I think that makes an excellent and detailed point. That's going to increase quite dramatically if you host other users as a little co-operative, for example, isn't it?
The server software is also quite naughty as it leaks information. So your declaration isn't quite true as it implies the instance is single-user. eek!
https://stroud.social/media/e90917768c6e49408af2f771c6e17d09f87994edcd9c34f5d28dcd521b54618d.png

2025-01-02 04:21:00 UTC

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@nprofile…60lz
I concur with this. Both Corbyn and Farage offer change that appeals. Both anti-establishment. Both powerful. The roots of their support are anchored in the more deprived areas. This was so, so noticeable when knocking on doors GE2016. It's almost like the issues, so obvious back then, have now been papered over and the populace distracted. I'm absolutely certain that PR will restore legitimacy.
@nprofile…ygwx

2024-12-08 15:53:25 UTC

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@nprofile…98e3 Thanks so much. Yes, she has good neighbours, it's just contacting anyone that's the problem because of the extended electricity outage.

2024-12-08 11:26:06 UTC

Real life consequences of this God awful BT/Openreach fiber rollout.
Mum lives in a small village in rural Wales
She has a mobility alarm attached to her 'new' fiber router.
The power went at 5am on Saturday. I can't now contact her on landline or mobile. Can't contact anyone else in the village either.
Obviously her mobility alarm is now useless.
This is not progress. In 1980 I could have called her on the land line.

2024-08-17 10:13:17 UTC

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@npub198t…hasj Oh OK! Mine doesn't lol. I guess, as you said, the message is that with a custom roms your mileage might vary.

2024-08-17 10:05:29 UTC

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@npub198t…hasj Yep. I'd concur. Even though I use a custom rom, this is pretty much the reality. Custom roms don't play nicely with banking apps. However, I'm old skool and prefer not to have banking on my device.

2024-07-02 10:34:06 UTC

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@npub1q9m…zgdu The article lists the areas of immunity enjoyed by monarchs from the UK in recent history. Trump has just recently been granted immunity from prosecution in the US. Sorry if I didn't make it clear.

2024-07-02 08:10:39 UTC

People are going bonkers over Trump's immunity from prosecution. But we, in the UK, set the precedent.
"Charles is exempt from criminal and civil proceedings as the head of state. But the King’s immunity extends beyond his public duties to his conduct on privately-owned assets, estates, and businesses."
https://time.com/6275480/king-charles-iii-privileges-laws-exempt/

2024-06-20 14:57:51 UTC

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@npub198t…hasj Ah ha! A sausage maker? https://www.amazon.co.uk/KitchenCraft-Sausage-Maker-Machine-Manual/dp/B00BJ47AI6/

2024-06-20 14:51:56 UTC

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@npub198t…hasj Risqué clothing not that I want to speculate?

2024-06-12 14:19:59 UTC

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@npub16ju…y8u7 Just got down from the attic btw. Couldn't locate those zip disks. But found this!
https://stroud.social/media/4b38c3a1-61dc-4f76-af39-418cc2d74303/dreytek.jpeg

2024-06-12 10:55:42 UTC

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@npub16ju…y8u7
No Hayes Ultras?

2024-06-07 21:19:35 UTC

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@npub16ju…y8u7
Uh ho, I think they're in a box in the attic! lol. Probably with ye olde ISDN BT router.....

2024-06-07 15:30:33 UTC

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@npub16ju…y8u7 Um, they may save your bacon one day!

2024-06-07 14:43:29 UTC

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@npub16ju…y8u7 Need any disks?
https://stroud.social/media/e1130683-e171-4f73-b5cb-deb1420d222b/zip.jpg

2024-06-06 17:38:52 UTC

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@npub16ju…y8u7
Well, It could be worse. I went to school with Andrew RT Davies. :(

2024-05-23 13:22:04 UTC

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@npub198t…hasj Agreed, but, I do prefer the rotary wheel on my Cherry mouse for scrolling though.......

2024-05-16 05:58:29 UTC

'Tis weird. Got back from the pub last night and just happened to scan the news, either BBC or the Guardian. I noticed a story and read about an MP using parliamentary privilege to ask why a long investigative article by The New Yorker was barred from viewing by UK viewers. The article gave detailed explanations and reasons etc.
This morning there is no reference, on any news website, that I can find, about it!

2024-05-13 09:27:33 UTC

and so it begins.....
A Conservative councillor on Gloucestershire County Council has defected to the Green Party.
The Conservatives no longer have a majority.
Cllr Williams said her decision had been prompted by having lost faith in the Conservative Party nationally. “Over the past months I have grown increasingly disillusioned and angry and I cannot - morally or ethically - ignore my conflicting views as an individual and as a Conservative Party member.
#ukpol #Glos

2024-05-08 16:39:51 UTC

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@npub198t…hasj
You'd be appalled with the setup being foisted on a newbie Cllr. Linux isn't 'approved' OS even if I use my own equipment. :(

2024-04-22 08:13:21 UTC

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@npub198t…hasj However, it does relate to 'social media platforms' so maybe that indicates they've conceded that they've lost the battle on applications like Signal etc.....

2023-09-04 13:20:51 UTC

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@npub16ju…y8u7 Good idea.... I should have done that when I somehow managed to insure my wife's car twice and mine not at all....... :(

2023-09-03 09:16:14 UTC

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@npub1yvr…mjkg
https://stroud.social/media/b453d304-32e1-4921-9bf6-c9df0699bc4b/Dragon.jpg

2023-09-03 04:58:17 UTC

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@npub1g0t…tvm4 Don't forget the ONS also manufacture bullshit for Government. How much time and effort went into 'measuring' GVA for LEP's as an example?
GFirst LEP, our local, unaccountable quango topped the ONS 'growth' tables based on all this nonsense but failed to produce an industrial strategy and knew diddley about local SME's. They just doled out grant money to property developers and seemingly sponsored struggling local news publications to garner positive publicity.
GFirst LEP, along with others, are now being disbanded. Essential tasks rolled back into the County Council where at least there is a modicum of democratic accountability.
A coalition farce from start to finish that seems to have gone unnoticed.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/articles/gvaforlocalenterprisepartnerships/latest

2023-08-27 09:02:39 UTC

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@npub1g0t…tvm4 I think this is a sleight of hand. It's the general weakening of GDPR and DPA in the UK (compared to EU) is what we should be watching....... Others follow this more closley than me.

2023-08-05 12:21:49 UTC

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@npub1hpc…hjn3 Oh, I started struggling at 7% with 60 odd cities. I did quite will on Chinese and Indian ones which helped.

2023-08-05 12:09:04 UTC

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@npub1hpc…hjn3 ah! But what %age?

2023-08-05 11:53:28 UTC

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@npub1hpc…hjn3 How many cities can you spell?

2023-07-31 18:02:03 UTC

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@npub1hpc…hjn3 Breaking and entering?

2023-07-19 18:50:24 UTC

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@npub198t…hasj It's in settings for the sender. It defaults not to do that.
Tangentially, if I e-mail my local district council with a pgp key attached the e-mail bounces. :(

2023-07-19 05:56:10 UTC

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@npub1g0t…tvm4 The terrorism threat level was dropped from severe back to substantial about a year ago. I don't think levels of low or moderate have ever been announced. It will be interesting to keep an eye on it in the run up to the next GE.

2023-07-17 07:45:03 UTC

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@npub17eh…94rr I'd be happy to test!

2023-07-16 13:42:20 UTC

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@npub15zu…s7lx This means I can afford real maple syrup again. :)

2023-07-15 19:45:34 UTC

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@npub1xj8…egqe So if he returns to the back benches now, he'll be able to get a nice, cushy job with an MOD supplier when he loses his seat in the GE.

2023-07-04 10:34:06 UTC

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@npub1g0t…tvm4 It an issue not confined to the US. The local community group in #Stroud I help with got a petition going to our local MP about these issues. It's linked to a national group here. https://www.fivexmore.com

2023-04-20 18:34:32 UTC

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#[0] #[1] #[2]
These long relay address really mess up my front-ends's rendering...... lol...