Republic (political organisation)

Republic is a British republican organisation, wishing to replace the monarchy with what it calls "an elected head of state". It is a member organization of Common Cause. It is the largest British organisation advocating for a republic to replace the monarchy. Fact|date=March 2007

Founded in 1983, the group has benefited from recent negative publicity about the Royal Familycite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4423663.stm | title=Why the republican optimism? | author=Tom Geoghegan | publisher=BBC | date=Friday, 8 April 2005] , and Republic has claimed a large rise in its membership since the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles. [ [http://www.republic.org.uk/about/index.htm Republic | About Republic ] ] In June 2006 the group handed in a petition of over 3,000 namesFact|date=March 2007 to 10 Downing Street calling for what it called "a serious national debate about the future of the monarchy".

Legal context

Advocacy of the replacement of the monarchy with a republic has traditionally been an imprisonable offence. The Treason Felony Act 1848 prohibits the advocacy of a republic in print. The penalty for committing the crime of such advocacy is lifetime imprisonment, even if such advocacy is by peaceful means. This Act remains in force in the United Kingdom.cite news | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,985915,00.html | publisher=The Guardian | title=Guardian vindicated in treason case | author=Clare Dyer | date=Friday June 27, 2003] However, under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Law Lords have held that although the Treason Felony Act remains on the statute books, it was incompatible with the Human Rights Act.

This organisation lies within the movement for republicanism in the United Kingdom. See the article, "Republicanism in the United Kingdom."

upporters of the Republic Campaign

The Campaign has had supporters—mainly Labour—in Parliament. These supporters included Tony Benn, who in 1991 introduced a Commonwealth of Britain Bill in Parliament.

It is currently supported by the following MPs [http://www.republic.org.uk/supporters/index.php Republic | Our supporters ] ] :

* Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat)
* Russell Brown (Labour)
* Michael Clapham (Labour)
* Jeremy Corbyn (Labour)
* David Crausby (Labour)
* Ian Davidson (Labour)
* Bill Etherington (Labour)
* Paul Flynn (Labour)
* Roger Godsiff (Labour)
* Kelvin Hopkins (Labour)
* Brian Iddon (Labour)
* Glenda Jackson (Labour)
* Lynne Jones (Labour)
* Andrew MacKinlay (Labour)
* Bob Marshall-Andrews (Labour)
* Jim McGovern (Labour)
* Ann McKechin (Labour)
* Doug Naysmith (Labour)
* Stephen Pound (Labour)
* Gordon Prentice (Labour)

Lords:
* George Foulkes (Labour)
* Roy Hattersley (Labour)
* Gwilym Prys Davies (Labour)
* Dick Taverne (Liberal Democrat)

Outside Parliament, well-known supporters include journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown; philosopher Julian Baggini; political cartoonist Steve Bell; former Labour MP and cabinet member Tony Benn; London Assembly member John Biggs (Labour); actress Honor Blackman; comedienne Jo Brand; historian Piers Brendon; writer Julie Burchill; writer Beatrix Campbell; television scriptwriter Jon Canter; human rights lawyer Louise Christian; political author and commentator Nick Cohen; former BBC Political Editor John Cole; Roseanna Cunningham MSP (Scottish National Party); Scottish minister Linda Fabiani MSP (Scottish National Party); writer and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe; journalist and author Jonathan Freedland; Rob Gibson MSP (Scottish National Party); Christine Grahame MSP (Scottish National Party); media commentator and academic Roy Greenslade; Welsh Assembly member John Griffiths (Labour); novelist Mark Haddon; writer Johann Hari; constitutionalist Stephen Haseler; philosopher Ted Honderich; journalist Mick Hume; Welsh Assembly member Bethan Jenkins (Plaid Cymru); poet, playwright and filmmaker Patrick Jones; American author Kitty Kelley; author Tim Lott; Caroline Lucas MEP (Green); human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield, QC; journalist Chris McLaughlin; journalist Brendan O’Neill; novelist Caryl Phillips; journalist and author Stephen Pollard; journalist and author Claire Rayner; journalist Brian Reade; Justice Geoffrey Robertson, QC; biologist Steven Rose; journalist Mark Seddon; writer Will Self; novelist and journalist Joan Smith; writer and comedian Mark Steel; human rights activist Peter Tatchell; novelist Sue Townsend; journalist and author Polly Toynbee; author Jonathan Trigell; Graham Watson MEP (Liberal Democrat); Sandra White MSP (Scottish National Party); Welsh Assembly member Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru) and author Benjamin Zephaniah.

ee also

*Republicanism in the United Kingdom

References

External links

* [http://www.republic.org.uk/ Official site]
* [http://www.republic.org.uk/supporters/index.php Supporters of the Campaign]