A short primer
Why a republic?
Four reasons the question is alive in Britain right now — with sources. This isn't a manifesto. It's a starting point for an honest conversation about who represents us, and how.
- 01
The institution has a public price.
The Sovereign Grant was £86.3m in 2023–24, before security, lost duchy revenue, and other public costs. Reasonable people can disagree on the value — but the cost is real and recurring.
- 02
There is no public mandate.
The head of state inherits the role. Voters cannot reject the person, the politics, or the conduct. In a democracy, that's an unusual exemption.
- 03
A generation has already moved on.
Polling consistently shows under-35s lean against the monarchy or are unsure. Public consent is generational, and it is changing.
- 04
Protest at royal events isn't free.
At the 2023 coronation, Republic campaigners were arrested before a planned protest and later released with no further action; the Met expressed regret. A modern democracy shouldn't make peaceful protest of its head of state risky.
“A flag is not the cause. A flag is the symbol the cause earns.”
Want the longer argument? Read The Argument. Want to try a flag? Open Flag Lab.