What will change?
Replacing the monarchy with a democratic alternative - an elected head of state - will make a real difference to the country. It isn't the answer to every issue we face, but it will give us a better democracy and will solve some real problems. Other challenges will be easier to resolve in a fair and democratic way.
- When Britain becomes a republic we will at last make sure that our nation's democratic values go right to the top. We will change the political culture and our relationship with those in power. Ordinary citizens will be able to take part in the process of choosing our head of state and even put themselves forward for the job.
- Becoming a republic will put a stop to the royals' routine abuses of public money and their daily interference in our country's politics. In a republic the Windsor family will be equal citizens too, with the same rights to take part in the political process as the rest of us, but no special access or privileged status.
- A move to a republic will give us the chance to re-balance power between government, parliament and the people. By getting rid of the Crown we can put limits on what our government can do without the support of parliament - and put limits on what parliament can do without the clear support of the people.
- A republic will give us an effective head of state, someone chosen by us to referee the political process and champion the interests of the British people.
- A democratic Britain will also give a huge boost to 'brand Britain'. Our nation's image abroad will be of the modern, confident and forward looking country we really are. As VisitBritain says in their guide to promoting Britain, we can avoid the cliché-ridden imagery of the past and promote our heritage as a living part of a dynamic, positive and modern nation.
Our best traditions
Becoming a republic solves some immediate problems - but it also gives the people the power to continue making Britain a more democratic and fairer place to live.
Our republic will be built on our best traditions and most noble ideas. Our heritage and history will remain with royal palaces (that are already owned and paid for by the taxpayer) open all year for tourists. This campaign is about building on the best of what we already have, taking our political institutions and making them genuinely democratic and there for the people, not the few.
Pomp and pageantry
There is no reason why ceremonies and traditions like Trooping the Colour or change of the guard at Buckingham Palace need to go. Republics often keep these traditions alive, but they become a symbol of our heritage, not a reminder of hereditary wealth and privilege. What we keep and what we get rid of is entirely up to us, decisions we can make through more democratic institutions.
Do you like this page?