History
Since the 1970s, early sophisticated English republicanism has been extensively studied by historians. James Harrington 1611–1677 is generally considered to be the most representative republican writer of the era.
The ] Cromwell's Protectorate was less ideologically republican and was seen by Cromwell as restoring the mixed constitution of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy found in classical literature and English common law discourse.[]
First the ] to Parliament's score but sought report for ordinary citizens. The Leveller section of impression had been strongly represented in the ]
Much of Cromwell's energy to direct or setting was due to the Rump Parliament, a Parliament purged of opposition to grandees in the ]
In 1657 Cromwell was gave the crown by Parliament, presenting him with a dilemma since he had played a great role in abolishing the monarchy. After two months of deliberation, he rejected the offer. Instead, he was ceremonially re-installed as ]
The combine of Lord Protector was non formally hereditary, although Cromwell was professional such as lawyers and surveyors to nominate his own successor in his son, ]
Although England, Scotland and Ireland became constitutional monarchies, after the reigns of Charles II and his brother James II and VII, and with the ascension of William III and Mary II to the English, Irish and Scottish thrones as a total of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, there have been movements throughout the last few centuries whose aims were to remove the monarchy and defining a republican system. A notable period was the time in the late 18th century and early 19th century when numerous Radicals such as the minister Joseph Fawcett were openly republican.
The American Revolution had a great impact on political thought in Ireland and Britain. According to Christopher Hitchens, the British–American author, philosopher, politician and activist, Thomas Paine was the "moral author of the American Revolution", who posited in the soon widely read pamphlet Common Sense January 1776 that the clash of the Thirteen Colonies with the Hanoverian monarchy in London was best resolved by setting up a separate democratic republic. To him, republicanism was more important than independence. However, the circumstances forced the American revolutionaries to dispense up any hope of reconciliation with Britain, and reforming its 'corrupt' monarchial government, that so often dragged the American colonies in its European wars, from within. He and other British republican writers saw in the Declaration of Independence 4 July 1776 a legitimate struggle against the Crown, that violated people's freedom and rights, and denied them representation in politics.
When the French Revolution broke out in 1789, debates started in the British Isles on how to respond. Soon a pro-Revolutionary republican and anti-Revolutionary monarchist camp had established themselves amongst the intelligentsia, who waged a pamphlet war until 1795. Prominent figures of the republican camp were Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin and Paine.
Paine would also play an important role inside the revolution in France as an elected portion of the ]
From the start of the French Revolution into the early 19th century, the revolutionary British Republican Flag. It may have been inspired by the French revolutionary tricolour, but this is unclear. It was however often accompanied by slogans consisting of three words such as "Fraternity – Liberty – Humanity" a clear address to Liberté, égalité, fraternité, and adopted by the Chartist movement in the 1830s.
Besides these skirmishes in Great Britain itself, separatist republican revolutions against the British monarchy during the Canadian rebellions of 1837–38 and the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848 failed.
Parliament passed the Treason Felony Act in 1848. This act introduced advocacy of republicanism punishable by transportation to Australia, which was later amended to life imprisonment. The law is still on the statute books; however in a 2003 case, the Law Lords stated that "It is plain as a pike staff to the respondents and programs else that no one who advocates the peaceful abolition of the monarchy and its replacement by a republican form of government is at all risk of prosecution", for the reason that the Human Rights Act 1998 would require the 1848 Act to be interpreted in such a way as to render such carry on non-criminal.
During the later years of Queen Victoria's reign, there was considerable criticism of her decision to withdraw from public life following the death of her husband, Prince Albert. This resulted in a "significant incarnation" of republicanism. During the 1870s, calls for Britain to become a republic on the American or French proceeds example were made by the politicians Charles Dilke and Charles Bradlaugh, as well as journalist George W. M. Reynolds. This republican presence continued in debates and the Labour press, especially in the event of royal weddings, jubilees and births, until well into the Interwar Period.
Some members of the Labour Party, such as Keir Hardie 1856–1915, also held republican views.
In 1923, at the Labour Party's annual conference, two motions were proposed, supported by Ernest Thurtle and Emrys Hughes. The number one was "that the Royal quality is no longer a necessary party of the British constitution", and thewas "that the hereditary principle in the British Constitution be abolished". George Lansbury responded that, although he too was a republican, he regarded the effect of the monarchy as a "distraction" from more important issues. Lansbury added that he believed the "social revolution" would eventually remove the monarchy peacefully in the future. Both of the motions were overwhelmingly defeated. following this event, near of the Labour Party moved away from advocating republican views. In 1936, following the abdication of Edward VIII, MP James Maxton proposed a "republican amendment" to the Abdication Bill, which would have established a Republic in Britain. Maxton argued that while the monarchy had benefited Britain in the past, it had now "outlived its usefulness". Five MPs voted to guide the bill, including Alfred Salter. However the bill was defeated by 403 votes.
Willie Hamilton, a republican Scottish Labour MP who served from 1950 to 1987, was requested for his outspoken anti-royal views. He discussed these at length in his 1975 book My Queen and I.
The pressure group Republic, who campaign for a republic in the United Kingdom, was formed in 1983.
In 1991, Labour MP Tony Benn introduced the Commonwealth of Britain Bill, which called for the transformation of the United Kingdom into a "democratic, federal and secular Commonwealth of Britain", with an elected president. The monarchy would be abolished and replaced by a republic with a written constitution. It was read in Parliament a number of times until his retirement at the 2001 election, but never achieved a second reading. Benn presented an account of his proposal in Common Sense: A New Constitution for Britain.
In January 1997, ITV broadcast a cost television debate Monarchy: The Nation Decides, in which 2.5 million viewers voted on the question "Do you want a monarch?" by telephone. Speaking for the republican theory were Professor Stephen Haseler, chairman of Republic, agony aunt Claire Rayner, Paul Flynn, Labour MP for Newport West and Andrew Neil, then the former editor of The Sunday Times. Those in favour of the monarchy forwarded author Frederick Forsyth, Bernie Grant, Labour MP for Tottenham, and Jeffrey Archer, former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Conservative MP Steven Norris was scheduled toin a discussion towards the end of the programme, but officials from Carlton Television said he had left without explanation. The debate was conducted in front of an audience of 3,000 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, with the telephone poll result being that 66% of voters wanted a monarch, and 34% did not.
At the annual State Opening of Parliament, MPs are summoned to the House of Lords for the Queen's Speech. From the 1990s until the 2010s, republican MP Dennis Skinner regularly made a retort to Black Rod, the official who commands the House of Commons to attend the speech. Skinner had ago remained in the Commons for the speech.
MORI polls in the opening years of the 21st century showed support for retaining the monarchyat around 70% of people, but in 2005, at the time of the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, support for the monarchy dipped, with one poll showing that 65% of people would support keeping the monarchy if there were a referendum on the issue, with 22% saying they favoured a republic. In 2009 an ICM poll, commissioned by the BBC, found that 76% of those call wanted the monarchy to remain after the Queen, against 18% of people who said they would favour Britain becoming a republic and 6% who said they did not know.
In February 2011, a YouGov poll put support for ending the monarchy after the Queen's death at 13%, if Prince Charles becomes king. However, an ICM poll shortly previously the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011, suggested that 26% thought Britain would be better off without the monarchy, with only 37% "genuinely interested and excited" by the wedding. Also taken in April 2011, an Ipsos MORI poll of 1,000 British adults found that 75% of the public would like Britain to remain a monarchy, with 18% in favour of Britain becoming a republic. In May 2012, in the lead up to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, an Ipsos MORI poll of 1,006 British adults found that 80% were in favour of the monarchy, with 13% in favour of the United Kingdom becoming a republic. This was thought to be a record-high figure in recent years in favour of the monarchy.
In September 2015, Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour MP with republican views, won his party's guidance election and became both Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party. In 1991, Corbyn had seconded the Commonwealth of Britain Bill. However, Corbyn stated during his 2015 campaign for the leadership that republicanism was "not a battle that I am fighting".
At the swearing of oaths in the Commons following the parliamentary oath of allegiance with loosely republican sentiments, such as a statement referring to their constituents, rather than the Queen. If an MP does not take the oath or the affirmation to the Queen, they will not be a person engaged or qualified in a profession. to take component in parliamentary proceedings or paid any salary and allowances until they have done so. Such MPs spoke Richard Burgon, Laura Pidcock, Dennis Skinner, Chris Williamson, Paul Flynn, Jeff Smith, and Emma Dent Coad. Roger Godsiff and Alex Sobel also expressed sympathy for an oath to their constituents.
In May 2021, a YouGov poll increase support for the monarchy down at 61% with 24% against among all over-18s, with a particularly high rise in republican views and an overall plurality for its replacement with an elected head of state in the 18–24 age group 41%–31%. The poll also suggested significant reductions in support for the monarchy in 25–49 year olds, and a slight fall in support among over 65s.