Server Rules

As a Discord server, UK Politics operates within the platform provided by Discord Inc. Every member is bound by Discord's Terms of Service and Community Guidelines at all times. This includes but is not limited to:

• You must be at least 13 years old to use Discord (16 in some jurisdictions).
• Do not share content that is illegal, sexually exploitative, or that violates the intellectual property rights of others.
• Do not engage in harassment, threats, or doxxing (sharing private personal information without consent).
• Do not use automated accounts (selfbots) or engage in platform manipulation.

Violations of Discord's own policies will be reported directly to Discord's Trust & Safety team in addition to any action taken by our moderation team.

UK Politics welcomes members from across the political spectrum. However, there is a clear line between political discourse and the promotion of violence or extremism. This rule covers:

• Advocating for political violence, terrorism, or armed uprising — regardless of which "side" it comes from.
• Glorifying or celebrating terrorist attacks, mass violence, or genocides.
• Promoting ideologies whose core tenets require the subjugation, removal, or elimination of groups of people (e.g., fascism, ethno-nationalism, violent revolutionary movements).
• Sharing extremist propaganda, recruitment material, or manifestos.

You are free to discuss these topics academically or critically — for example, analysing why extremist movements gain traction. The distinction the moderation team draws is between discussion of and advocacy for. If you are unsure where the line falls in a specific case, ask a moderator before posting.

All members deserve to participate in discussions without being targeted for who they are. This rule prohibits content that dehumanises, degrades, or incites hatred against individuals or groups based on protected characteristics, including but not limited to:

• Race, ethnicity, or national origin
• Religion or belief
• Sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation
• Disability or health condition
• Age

Examples of violations: Using slurs (even "ironically"), posting content that portrays groups as subhuman, making sweeping derogatory generalisations ("all [group] are..."), or using dog-whistle language designed to demean while maintaining plausible deniability.

What this does not prohibit: Criticising ideologies, political positions, policies, or public figures. You can argue that a specific immigration policy is harmful without dehumanising immigrants. You can critique a religion's doctrine without demeaning its followers. The key is targeting ideas, not people.

If you have concerns about a moderation decision, a specific moderator, or how the server is run, the appropriate place to raise them is through our moderation support channels (e.g., ModMail or direct messages with a senior moderator) — not in public chat.

• A one-off comment or question is fine. Repeatedly derailing conversations to air grievances is not.
• Do not attempt to rally other members against the moderation team or campaign publicly for rule changes. Use the proper channels.
• Do not publicly share private moderation communications (warnings, ban reasons, DMs with staff) without permission.

We hold our moderation team to a high standard. If you feel a moderator has acted unfairly, we genuinely want to hear about it — but through the right channels, where it can be properly reviewed and addressed.

Political discussion can be heated, but it must remain focused on arguments and ideas — not on the individuals making them. This rule is essential to maintaining a space where people feel safe enough to share their views.

• Not allowed: "Typical [political group] moron", targeting someone's appearance, voice, personal life, or identity in an argument.
• Allowed: "That argument doesn't hold up because...", "I think that position is wrong and here's why..."

Attacks that target protected characteristics (race, gender, sexuality, disability, etc.) are treated especially seriously and may result in an immediate ban. There is no context in which telling another member they are lesser because of who they are is acceptable.

If a discussion is getting too heated, step away. You can always return to the conversation when emotions have cooled.

UK Politics is not a platform for promoting other Discord servers, communities, websites, or forums. This includes:

• Posting invite links to other Discord servers in any channel or via DMs to members you met here.
• Repeatedly mentioning or linking to external communities, YouTube channels, podcasts, or social media accounts in a promotional manner.
• Using your profile, nickname, or status to advertise.

Exceptions: Sharing a relevant news article, academic paper, or resource in the course of genuine discussion is absolutely fine. The rule targets unsolicited promotion, not organic sharing. If you run a political project and would like to discuss a partnership or collaboration, reach out to the admin team directly.

The foundation of UK Politics is genuine political discussion. Members are expected to engage honestly and constructively. The following behaviours undermine that and are not permitted:

• Trolling: Posting inflammatory or off-topic content with the sole purpose of provoking reactions.
• Deliberate provocation: Intentionally seeking to upset or anger other members, including through "bait" posts.
• Bad-faith arguments: Intentionally misrepresenting others' positions (strawmanning), shifting goalposts, sealioning (feigning ignorance to waste someone's time), or arguing positions you don't hold purely to be disruptive.
• Spam: Repetitive messages, copypastas, or flooding channels with low-effort content.

We understand that the line between a passionate argument and provocation can sometimes be thin. Moderators will exercise judgement and consider patterns of behaviour, not just isolated messages. If you're consistently making the server a worse place to be, action will be taken.

You are responsible not only for your own behaviour but also for not facilitating rule-breaking by others. This includes:

• Encouraging another member to post something that would violate the rules.
• Providing instructions or materials that would help someone break a rule (e.g., sharing extremist content "for someone else to post").
• Coordinating with others to collectively harass a member or disrupt the server.
• Creating or using alternative accounts to evade bans or mutes.

If you see someone breaking the rules, report it to the moderation team rather than engaging with it or amplifying it. Helping enforce a positive environment is something we value greatly.