Supporters of republicanism in the United Kingdom—replacing the country's monarchy with a republic—typically favour an elected head of state to a constitutional monarch who heads the British royal family.
Individuals (living) Politicians (serving)
Politicians (former)
Political activists
Tariq Ali, author and political activist Jamie Bevan, Welsh language activist Julie Bindel, writer and political activist Bill Bonnar, Scottish Socialist Party campaigner Catherine Mayer, author and co-founder of the Women's Equality Party Alan McCombes, Scottish Socialist Party campaigner Gareth Miles, Welsh language activist Craig Murray, former diplomat and activist Mike Small, Scottish author and activist Peter Tatchell, gay rights campaigner Kevin Williamson, Scottish writer and activist
Political staff and advisors Alastair Campbell, political strategist, journalist and author Philip Collins, journalist and former chief speechwriter to Tony Blair Andrew Fisher, political adviser and consultant Lance Price, writer, journalist and former political adviser to Tony Blair
Trade unionists John Edmonds, former General Secretary of GMB Union Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) Arthur Scargill, former trade union leader, leader of the Socialist Labour PartyScargill launches party manifesto. BBC News. 30 April 2001.
Journalists and non-fiction writers
Novelists and fiction authors Philippa Gregory, novelist Mark Haddon, novelist James Kelman, novelist and playwright Kathy Lette, novelist John Niven, screenwriter and author Caryl Phillips, novelist Philip Pullman, author Michèle Roberts, novelist and poet Sara Sheridan, author and historical novelistThe Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), February 5, 2022: 49. Zadie Smith, author Jonathan Trigell, author
Broadcasters
Simon Fanshawe, writer and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, journalist and broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer, radio presenter and political journalist John Humphrys, radio and television presenter Mark Kermode, film critic, journalist"Getting Her Maj involved might prove tricky, particularly as I am a declared republican", Mark Kermode, It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive. Arrow Books, 2010 , (p. 4). Paul Mason, political commentator and author Fiona Phillips, journalist and broadcaster Amol Rajan, journalist and broadcasterDixon, Hayley (21 November 2021). Royals could boycott the BBC over Princes and the Press documentary Daily Telegraph. Lesley Riddoch, radio broadcaster, activist and journalist Matthew Wright, broadcaster and journalist
Business people Dawn Airey, media executive and sports administrator Alan McGee, co-founder of Creation Records and Poptones Tim Waterstone, founder of Waterstones bookshops and author
Actors
Steve Coogan, actor and comedian Brian Cox Ben Dover, pornographic actor Christopher Eccleston Colin Firth, actor,Jon Swaine, 2011. . The Telegraph. played King George VI in The King's Speech (2010) Mark Gatiss, actor, comedian, screenwriter and novelist Margot Leicester, actor, appeared in King Charles III (2017) as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall Paul McGann Tobias Menzies, actor, played Prince Philip in The Crown Josh O'Connor, played Prince Charles in The Crown Daniel RadcliffeSessums, Kevin (26 January 2009). Dirty Harry. The Daily Beast. Dougray Scott Elaine C. Smith Samuel West, actor and director, portrayed Prince Albert Victor in Edward the Seventh and The Ripper, and King George VI in Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)
Comedians
Frankie Boyle, comedian and writer Jo BrandBrand, Jo (11 January 1997). Jo Brand's week. The Independent. Robin Ince, comedian, actor and writer Eddie Izzard, comedian, actor and writer Lloyd Langford Rob Newman John Oliver, actor and comedian, host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Mark Steel Mark Thomas, comedian, author and activist Tracey Ullman, actor and comedian Henning Wehn
Singers, musicians and composers Akala, rapper James Dean Bradfield, lead vocalist and guitarist of the Manic Street Preachers Ray Burns (Captain Sensible), musician Adrian Fry, trombonist and arranger Iona Fyfe, singer Mark 'Barney' Greenway, singer Paul Heaton, singer (The Beautiful South)Benarde, Scott (31 May 1992). "Try These Sophisticated But Overlooked Lyrics." The Palm Beach Post. Pat Kane, musician (Hue and Cry), journalist and political activist Kunt and the Gang, musicianhttps://kuntandthegang.bandcamp.com/track/scrap-the-monarchy Sean Moore, musician (Manic Street Preachers) Morrissey, singer-songwriter and author (formerly of The Smiths)Kelly, Nick (8 December 2007). 'Racist? That's a miserable lie' says Morrissey. The Irish Independent. Craig Reid, musician (The Proclaimers) Charlie Reid, musician (The Proclaimers) Paul Simonon, musician (formerly of The Clash) Robert Smith, musician (The Cure)Robert Smith (The Cure), post-it interview by Télérama.fr (July 2012). Paul Towndrow, saxophonist Nicky Wire, musician (Manic Street Preachers)
Artists Steve Bell, cartoonist Peter Fluck, caricaturist and satirist Mark McGowan, performance artist known as Chunky Mark and The Artist Taxi Driver Ralph Steadman, cartoonist
Theatre and film directors John Boorman, film director Danny Boyle, Academy Award-winning film director Richard Eyre, theatre and film director Stephen Frears, film director and producer Paul Greengrass, film director and screenwriter Duncan Jones, film director, producer and screenwriter Mike Leigh, writer and director of film and theatre Ken Loach, film and television director
Screenwriters and playwrights Alan Bissett, author and playwright Jon Canter, television comedy writer Maureen Chadwick, screenwriter, dramatist and television producer Michael Frayn, author and playwright David Hare, playwright Julia Pascal, playwright and theatre director
Poets
Tony Harrison, poet, translator and playwright Mike Jenkins Patrick Jones, poet, playwright and filmmaker Liz Lochhead, Makar (National Poet for Scotland) and essayist Sean O'Brien, poet and critic Michael Rosen, novelist and poet Luke Wright
Sportspeople Joey Barton, football manager and former footballer Stan Collymore, former footballer Frankie Dettori, Italian jockey Brian Moore, former rugby union player
Legal professionals
Louise Christian, human rights lawyer Imran Khan, lawyerList of supporters , republic.org.uk; accessed 13 June 2019. Michael Mansfield, KC Geoffrey Robertson, KC Clive Stafford Smith, lawyer and human rights campaigner
Academics Kehinde Andrews, author and professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University Sophie Grace Chappell, philosopher Richard Dawkins, evolutionary biologist and writerPenman, Danny (18 October 1994). The Monarchy in Turmoil: What's your view of royalty?: Danny Penman samples reaction to the monarchy's latest difficulty. The Independent. Gregor Gall, writer and academic Ted Honderich, academic and philosopher Laura McAllister, Professor of Public Policy and the Governance of Wales at the Wales Governance Centre, Cardiff University Steven Rose, scientist and writer Quentin Skinner, academic and historian Adam Tomkins, academic and former MSP (Scottish Conservatives) Nigel Warburton, academic and philosopher
Religious figures Pete Broadbent, former Bishop of Willesden
YouTubers Alex O'Connor, YouTuber and podcaster Shaun, YouTuber Abigail Thorn, YouTuber, actress and playwright
Individuals (deceased) Politicians
Tony Banks (1942–2006), MP and peer (Labour) Tony Benn (1925–2014), MP (Labour) Charles Bradlaugh (1833–1891), MP (Liberal) George Buchanan (1890–1955), MP (Labour) William Cluse (1875–1955), MP (Labour) Richard Crossman (1907–1974), MP (Labour) and editor of the New Statesman Donald Dewar (1937–2000), Scottish Labour politician and First Minister of Scotland Sir Charles Dilke (1843–1911), MP (Liberal)Thomas M. Costa, "Dilke, Charles Wentworth" in Historical Dictionary of the British Empire edited by James S. Olson and Robert Shadle. Greenwood Press, 1996 Jack Dormand (1919–2003), MP and peer (Labour) Raymond Fletcher (1921–1991), MP (Labour) Paul Flynn (1935–2019), MP (Labour) Michael Foot (1913–2010), MP (Labour) and leader of the Labour Party Willie Gallacher (1881–1965), MP (Communist Party of Great Britain) Arthur Greenwood (1880–1954), MP (Labour) Willie Hamilton (1917–2000), MP (Labour) George Hardie (1873–1937), MP (Labour) Keir Hardie (1856–1915), MP and founder of the Labour Party Roy Hattersley (1932–2026), MP (Labour) and peer Emrys Hughes (1894–1969), MP (Labour) and journalistKingsley Martin, The Crown and the Establishment. London, Hutchinson (p.137-39) Glenda Jackson (1936–2023), MP (Labour) and actress William Keenan (1889–1955), MP (Labour) George Lansbury (1859–1940), MP (Labour) and leader of the Labour Party Margo MacDonald (1943–2014), MP and MSP (SNP) David Marquand (1934–2024), academic, author and former MP (Labour) James Maxton (1885–1946), MP (Independent Labour Party) Valentine McEntee (1871–1953), MP (Labour) John McGovern (1887–1968), MP (Labour) Kevin McNamara (1934–2017), MP (Labour) Michael Meacher (1939–2015), MP (Labour) John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), MP (Liberal), philosopher and political economist Peter Mond, 4th Baron Melchett (1948–2018), life peer (Labour) and campaigner Mo Mowlam (1949–2005), MP (Labour) and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Stan Orme (1923–2005), MP (Labour) John Prescott (1938–2024), MP, peer (Labour) and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Gwilym Prys-Davies (1923–2017), peer (Labour) Richard Rogers (1933–2021), peer (Labour) and architect Alfred Salter (1873–1945), MP (Labour)Fenner Brockway, Bermondsey Story: The Life of Alfred Salter. Allen and Unwin, 1949 (p. 14). Alex Salmond (1954–2024), MP, MSP and First Minister of Scotland (SNP, Alba) Nancy Seear (1913–1997), peer and social scientist (Liberal, then Liberal Democrats) Algernon Sidney (1623–1683), English politician and political theorist Campbell Stephen (1884–1947), MP (Independent Labour Party) Dick Taverne (1928–2025), MP (Labour, Democratic Labour) and peer (Liberal Democrats) Ernest Thurtle (1884–1954), MP (Labour) Kay Ullrich (1943–2021), MSP (SNP) Benjamin Vaughan (1751–1835), political economist and MP
Political activists, advisers and social reformers
Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), philosopher, jurist and social reformer Julian Cayo-Evans (1937–1995), Welsh political activist and leader of the Free Wales Army Dennis Coslett (1939–2004), Welsh political activist (Free Wales Army) and author Marcia Falkender (1932–2019), peer and private secretary to prime minister Harold Wilson George William Foote (1850–1915), secularist and journal editor; secretary of the London Republican Club (1870) and National Republican League (1871) John Frost (1750–1842), English radical Stephen Maxwell (1942–2012), SNP activist Trefor Morgan (1914–1970), Welsh nationalist activist Thomas Muir of Huntershill (1765–1799), Scottish political reformer Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797), feminist writer and philosopher
Journalists, authors and writers
J. G. Ballard (1930–2009), novelist William Blake (1757–1827), writer and artist Robert Burns (1759–1796), poet and lyricist Carmen Callil (1938–2022), writer and publisher John Cole (1927–2013), BBC political editorBranigan, Tania (22 December 2003)The ultimate honour – impressive list of those who refused to bow to the system. The Guardian. Thomas Davison (1794–1826), journalist and publisher A. A. Gill (1954–2016), journalist and critic Thomas Gordon (c. 1691–1750), Scottish writer and Commonwealthman Alasdair Gray (1934–2019), Scottish authorMcLaughlin, Aideen (27 March 2005). New call for abolition of monarchy timed to influence general election Alasdair Gray pamphlet to rally republican vote. Sunday Herald. Barbara Hall (1923–2022), crossword compiler and writer James Harrington (1611–1677), political theorist and author Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011), author and columnist