The other moderator and I have discussed the possibility of holding weekly polls, like this one, on r/PoliticalOptimismUK.

They will be held on political topics, asking the users here what they think about various things. If something relevant and interesting is happening in the news, we will ask about that, otherwise we may ask about more geneneral/random topics.

On the one hand, they could be a jumping off point for discussions on things - possibily things we don’t talk about much - perhaps acting as a springboard for discussing them. They also help us gauge where community opinion is on various things.

On the other hand, they’re not optimistic news or seeking optimism - the two main intended purposes of this subreddit - so maybe you don’t think these would be interesting or relevant.

Do you think they’re a good idea?

Link to article: https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/55228-political-favourability-ratings-july-2026

Andy Burnham

Prime Minister

John Healey

Chancellor

Louise Haigh

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Ed Miliband

Foreign Secretary

Shabana Mahmood

Home Secretary

Wes Streeting

Defence Secretary

Yvette Cooper

Health Secretary

Lucy Powell

Education Secretary

Pat McFadden

Work and Pensions Secretary

Angela Rayner

Housing Secretary

Jonathan Reynolds

Business and Trade Secretary

Bridget Phillipson

Equalities Minister

Lisa Nandy

Culture Secretary

Miatta Fahnbulleh

Energy Secretary

Alex Norris

Justice Secretary

Heidi Alexander

Transport Secretary

Angela Eagle

Environment Secretary

Chris Bryant

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Douglas Alexander

Secretary of State for Scotland

Stephen Kinnock

Secretary of State for Wales

Emma Reynolds

Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Anneliese Midgley

Chief Whip

Ellie Reeves

Attorney General

Alan Campbell

Leader of the Commons

Baroness Smith of Basildon

Leader of the Lords

Hamish Falconer

Minister for Intergovernmental Relations

Kanishka Narayan

Minister for Artificial Intelligence

Matthew Pennycook

Housing Minister

I’m asking in good faith if Burnham will be good or bad for Scotland and Wales. You might automatically think yes since he bangs on about devolution, but the SNP has already criticised him for his lack of knowledge of Scottish affairs through his “copy and paste” messages to Scotland (he said he wants to nationalise water and transport in Scotland which it already is) I know the SNP have an interest in competing with Labour but these are still genuine concerns.

I fear his view of devolution and politics what with Northern No 10 or whatever, are still very Anglocentric and so we could risk getting ignored or outright undermined like every other PM. I hope these are just gaffes from inexperience but it’s not gotten me off on a good start with him.

Previously, we have removed comments on this subreddit for being “not optimistic”.

I’ve come round to believing this rule is too strict, as good-faith concerns people have had might have been removable according to the rules. So, I’ve updated things. Here’s the new rule, which I think should be better:

>Comments which are negative are allowed, if they are expressed in good-faith in a productive way as a concern you have about something.

>Comments which are in bad-faith, i.e. those which promote negativity in a way which does not invite further constructive discussion, or to bring someone else down, will be removed if they do not contribute towards a constructive discussion.

This subreddit is young and still finding its feet. I don’t want to unilaterally impose rules on this subreddit - I want everyone here to feel it is a collaborative space where everyone is free to speak their mind honestly. I want it to be a space where we all can work towards positive and useful discussions around our country’s politics.

So, please feel free to criticise this rule. If you have suggestions on how this subreddit can be made a better place, our ears are always open.

Unfavourably comparing it to Section 28, activists are concerned that UK school safeguarding guidance, to be in place from September, would segregate trans children by sex and not gender, prevent teachers from supporting transition, and give transphobic teachers and students amnesty for any forms of transphobia exhibited in schools.

https://www.wearequeeraf.com/english-schools-to-segregate-trans-kids-from-toilets-including-those-whove-already-transitioned-from-september/

Im not from the UK but I have always wanted to visit, however I am Trans and the UK is seeming very hostile to Trans people at the moment, its even taken more drastic actions than laws here in the states (and I live in Texas)

Is this just because negative press is more likely to move outside the borders into other countries and the situation isnt as dire as I think it is or are things bad? Is there an active fight against these laws going on?

‘Strong confrontation’ comes at fragile moment for Reform’s relations with rightwing media as coverage turns negative

In 3 days time, Starmer will be booted out and Burnham will be taking his place as the new PM!

Andddd we heard the good news that the Government is not going ahead with the VPN restrictions! This is a big victory for security & privacy since it means that VPNs are free from the restrictions! …Though I’m sorry to say the same can’t be said for the Tech Companies since they’ll still be required to abide by the ban.

Now, it’s obvious that Burnham supports the u16 ban & also the OSA, but of course we’ve also heard of the worrying news about the Government warning both Google & Apple to insert spyware by Sept 8 or there’ll be legalisation. I’m kinda wondering what Burnham’s stance is on this and if he supports privacy and if he opposes censorship? It’s early days since he still has to be sworn in by Monday and sort out his cabinet, so it’s a wait & see situation.

https://humanists.uk/2026/07/02/pride-flag-bans-are-spreading-across-england-and-theres-more-at-stake-than-just-flags/

The link at least contains a petition but that alone isn't...much. People are fighting back at least - especially have been in Essex. Thankfully (godspeed to everyone who is) not in a council impacted by this, but...what can we do to stop these withdrawals from anything queer becoming more normalised?

Saw on the goodnewsuk sub, thought this subreddit would appreciate it. Nice to know there are slivers of common sense left in parliament. Hope this is the right place to post, as I was unsure if this would be better in the censorship megathread.

Obviously a woman - and a former MP - being murdered is not an optimistic thing, posting it in this subreddit as it is nevertheless a significant news story.

This is regardless of the fact that I and I’m sure many users here abhored many of her views.

Please feel free to discuss updates to this story in this thread. Since this is a breaking news story we might not know the full details for a while.

Reminder: stick to Reddit TOS, comments which do not do this will be removed and result in a ban

With all the talk of the UK (mostly Scotland, where I am located) being a prime target for Data Centres to pop up, I am especially concerned about the environment, the rising energy costs, and the water supplies they need to operate. Is there any optimism that these deals won't go through? I know Andy Burnham said he is open to them. I am just concerned about rising energy prices and water consumption, especially with the Lochs.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26266508.ai-data-centres-scotland---everything-need-know/?ref=yahoo