 | |
| Formation | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Type | Advocacy group |
| Purpose | Scottish republicanism |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh |
Convenor | Tristan Gray |
| Website | ourrepublic |
Our Republic is a political campaign for a Scottish republic calling for the abolition of the monarchy. It was founded in 2021.
The organisation was formed in 2021 by activists from a mix of Scottish political parties from members with roots in Scotland, England, Ireland, Canada, the United States, and Lithuania. [1] [2] The following year it was revealed by polling that Scottish support for the monarchy stood at 45%. [3]
Our Republic is a political campaign for a Scottish republic calling for the abolition of the monarchy. [4]
The organisation launched a petition to call for the political oaths sworn by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to be made to the Scottish people rather than the monarchy, after several MSPs said that they were taking the oath under protest. The petition was backed by MSP Emma Roddick and Scottish Greens leader Patrick Harvie. [5]
Our Republic expressed solidarity with calls in Jamaica for the United Kingdom to apologise for the monarchy's historic role in the slave trade, and for Jamaica's plans to abolish the monarchy and become a republic. [6]
The organisation planned an anti-monarchy rally to coincide with Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee on 4 June 2022 on Calton Hill, Edinburgh, [7] with MP Tommy Sheppard speaking. [8] [9] [10]
Ahead of the Accession declaration of Charles III at Mercat cross in Edinburgh on 11 September 2022, the organisation stated: "We encourage those with objections to these proclamations to make those clear". [11] The members voiced their opposition to the new King through booing, turning their backs and shouting "no consent", [12] and holding up anti-monarchy slogans during the Lord Lyon King of Arms's declaration. The protest made global headlines. [13] They were briefly detained by Police Scotland before being released. [14] [15] One protester was later again arrested and charged under "Breach of the Peace". [16] [17] [18] Our Republic raised concerns of freedom of expression in response to the charges. [19]
In February 2023, Charles offered to allow people who "cannot afford to heat their homes" to use two of his Scottish properties—Dumfries House in Ayrshire and the Castle of Mey in Caithness—to keep warm for one day a week. [20] Our Republic convener Tristan Gray responded by saying: "A cynical person may see this as little more than a token PR stunt instead of any sort of genuine attempt to help people who are suffering at this time, especially coming on the heels of both he and his son visiting a food bank without bringing food, despite being more than able to and especially when he has demanded a flamboyantly golden coronation he may wish to try and deflect criticism from." [21]
Our Republic protested against Charles III's coronation on 6 May 2023, with a rally on Calton Hill in Edinburgh. [22] [23] Speakers at the rally included politicians Tommy Sheppard, Maggie Chapman and Lorna Slater as well as several activists from social and political groups such as the Scottish Socialist Party.
During the service of thanksgiving organised in Edinburgh for Charles III on 5 July 2023, Our Republic organised a rally outside the Scottish Parliament, attended by Scottish Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie. [24]
The abolition of monarchy is a legislative or revolutionary movement to abolish monarchical elements in government, usually hereditary. The abolition of an absolute monarchy in favour of limited government under a constitutional monarchy is a less radical form of anti-monarchism that has succeeded in some nations that still retain monarchs, such as Sweden, Spain, and Thailand.
Republicanism in the United Kingdom is the political movement that seeks to replace the United Kingdom's monarchy with a republic. Supporters of the movement, called republicans, support alternative forms of governance to a monarchy, such as an elected head of state. Monarchy has been the form of government used in the United Kingdom and its predecessor domains almost exclusively since the Middle Ages, except for a brief interruption in the years 1649–1660, during which a republican government did exist under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell.
Colin Fox is a Scottish socialist politician and left-wing activist, serving as national co-spokesperson of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) since 2005. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothians region from 2003 to 2007.
In the United Kingdom, the Accession Council is a ceremonial body which assembles in St James's Palace in London upon the death of a monarch to make formal proclamation of the accession of the successor to the throne. Under the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, a new monarch succeeds automatically. The proclamation confirms by name the identity of the new monarch, expresses loyalty to the "lawful and rightful Liege Lord", and formally announces the new monarch's regnal name, while the monarch and others, in front of the council, sign and seal several documents concerning the accession. An Accession Council has confirmed every English monarch since James I in 1603.
In the United Kingdom, public holidays are days on which most businesses and non-essential services are closed. Many retail businesses do open on some of the public holidays. There are restrictions on trading on Sundays, Easter and Christmas Day in England and Wales and on New Year's Day and Christmas Day in Scotland. Public holidays defined by statute are called "bank holidays", but this term can also be used to include common law holidays, which are held by convention. The term "public holidays" can refer exclusively to common law holidays.
Welsh republicanism or republicanism in Wales is the political ideology that advocates for Wales to be governed by a republican system, as opposed to the monarchy of the United Kingdom.
The Declaration of Calton Hill can refer to several political statements, the most notable being a call in 2004 for an independent Scottish republic, led by the Scottish Socialist Party. Calton Hill overlooks Edinburgh, and features neo-classical architecture built at the time of the Scottish Enlightenment. Rallys have been held there by multiple organisations. The 2004 declaration was part of a rally at Calton Hill in Edinburgh, organised to occur at the same time that Queen Elizabeth II was officially opening the new Scottish Parliament Building at Holyrood. Declarations with the same name have also been led by the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1981, Democracy for Scotland- a non-political organisation in 1992, and others in 2023.
Republic is a British republican pressure group advocating the replacement of the United Kingdom's monarchy with a de jure parliamentary republic. It is a member organisation of the Alliance of European Republican Movements and is currently by far the largest organisation solely campaigning for a republican constitution for Britain. Other organisations include No More Royals, Our Republic, Cymru Republic and Labour for a Republic. Republic states that its mission is: "the replacement of hereditary monarchy with a democratic republican constitution". As of 2023, Carol Lever is the current chair of Republic, and Graham Smith is the chief executive.
The monarchy of Jamaica is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Jamaica. The current Jamaican monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Jamaican Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Jamaica and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of the Jamaican state. However, the monarch is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She had been queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and was the monarch of 15 realms at her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British monarch, the second-longest of any sovereign state, and the longest of any queen regnant in history.
Scottish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that Scotland should be a republic; the nation is currently a monarchy as part of the United Kingdom. Republicanism is associated with Scottish nationalism and the Scottish independence movement, but also with British republicanism and the movement for federalism in the United Kingdom.
John Fingland Mason is a Scottish independent politician who has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Shettleston since 2011. He was a member of the Scottish National Party until his expulsion in 2024.
The Alliance of European Republican Movements (AERM) is a grouping of republican movements from across Europe. It was established in Stockholm in June 2010, after the wedding of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling. The aim of the AERM is to provide a network for cross-party republican movements in all the countries of Europe that have a monarch as their head of state, in order to share information, resources and ideas and provide mutual assistance. Each member organisation will retain their autonomous national campaigns however, in recognition of their particular political and constitutional circumstances.
The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing political party campaigning for the establishment of an independent socialist Scottish republic.
Graham Richard Peter Smith is a British political activist, author and columnist. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the republican pressure group Republic and a trustee of The Reform Foundation.
Kaukab Stewart is a Pakistani-born Scottish politician who has served as Minister for Equalities since May 2024. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Kelvin since May 2021.
The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, took place on Saturday, 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022 upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. It was the first coronation held since Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 nearly 70 years prior.
On 5 July 2023, the Honours of Scotland were presented to King Charles III in a ceremony held in St Giles' Cathedral. The ceremony was formally described as a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication to mark the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.