MPs’ expenses row threatens monarchy Scotland steering group set up Campaign Map featured on centre pages

2009 | Issue 2

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The parliamentary expenses scandal has triggered a wide ranging debate on reform of Britain’s antiquated and unwritten constitution. Discussion in the media has also started to look at the role of the Queen, with some papers asking if she should step in and act by dissolving parliament while others wondered if the new mood of public hostility toward the ruling classes would spread to the palace.

The Daily Mail’s Peter McKay suggested “the Crown sits uneasy in this crisis” and asked if public anger directed at Parliament could easily spread into a wholesale re-evaluation of our entire constitutional set-up. He quoted Republic saying: “The Queen has demonstrated that she is a lame duck head of state. It is during crises such as these that an effective leader is needed who can stand above the political fray.” “An elected head of state who is chosen and respected by the people, and who has the mandate to speak for the people, would be able to show real leadership at this time.” The Guardian launched an extensive

series of articles from columnists exploring all the various possibilities for constitutional reform. The ensuing online debate was dominated by pro-republic arguments for wholesale change.

Republic supporter Jonathan Freedland argued in his column for a “shift from our current system – which rests on the belief that the crown-in-parliament is sovereign – to the simpler notion that it is the people who are sovereign in their own land.” Guardian commentator Gary Younge - who has just signed up as a Republic supporter - dedicated his column to

the issue of the monarchy. He said: “Those who insist the role is merely symbolic miss the point. It symbolises something extremely corrosive in our history and culture: the notion that your life chances are determined not

by what you can do, but to whom you were born – which is the very cornerstone of a society riddled with class prejudice and privilege. Moreover, it enshrines the notion that power can be unaccountable at the very pinnacle of our system of government.” Republic will be making the connection between royal and parliamentary expenses when the royal finance reports come out at the end of June, arguing that accountability must be applied to all use of public funds.

“The Queen has demonstrated

that she is a lame duck head of

state. It is during crises … that

an effective leader is needed.”

A national debate is now underway about sweeping constitutional reform.

Do we have your email address? If we haven’t you could be missing out on important campaign news and regular opportunities to help us spread the word and tell the world about what Republic is doing and saying. Email enquiries@republic.org.uk.

o n l i n e @ republic.org.uk/news

2 | Imagine

MP expenses row triggers serious reform debate

“It enshrines the notion that

power can be unaccountable at

the very pinnacle of our system

of government.”

Imagine | 3

Maybe this fuss over expenses can be an opportunity for Republic. No one has their snouts in the trough as much as the Windsor family Mike Bickley Cumbria

I thought the Spring Conference was very enjoyable. I think it would be great if more members can get actively involved in the campaign in their local area. Can we use the internet more to put people in touch with each other? Gillian Craven Somerset

The standards campaign is an excellent idea. I can’t believe people are complaining so much about MPs spending taxpayers’ money on moats and second homes when the Windsor family have been abusing the taxpayer for centuries. How many homes and moats do they have? I just hope we can get this exposed

with the freedom of information laws that exposed the MPs’ expenses. Lawrence Goodall Edinburgh

The information on Republic Day is interesting, but can we make more of it next year? Perhaps with more notice and more information more members will get involved. Can I suggest we provide postcards to all members so they can send them to their MP for Republic Day 2010? I expect we’ll have a lot of new MPs by then, so maybe we’ll get some different responses. What are we doing about getting local groups organised? Now’s the time for action right across the country! Scotland is a good start, but we need more groups and activists in towns around the UK. Bill Emery London

In Britain, power still belongs at the top – with the crown and the palace of Westminster – unless our rulers deign to "devolve" some of it outward. Jonathan Freedland

— When it comes to the little things like declaring war and peace, dissolving parliament and ratifying treaties, all power lies with the monarch. Gary Younge

— I think it's one of the greatest myths that the monarchy has put forward... it's just patently false. The monarchy has immense constitutional power. Professor Adam Tomkins

— One of the notions of a democracy is that you elect those in power and you can remove them if they abuse it. Fundamentally, it's about accountability. Imran Khan

— Nominate a quote by emailing

imagine@republic.org.uk

Imagine The magazine of Republic Republic PO Box 69 Brighton BN50 9GS 08708 508 825 imagine@republic.org.uk

Back issues of Imagine and more information about the magazine can be found online at www.republic.org.uk/imagine. Members Let us know if you would prefer your copy by post or email.

So they say...

Send your letters to imagine@republic.org.uk

Republic Scotland sets up Steering Group

Republic Scotland took another step forward recently when a meeting of volunteers and activists established a new Steering Group. The group met at the University of Glasgow and will next meet at a venue in Edinburgh in early June. Volunteers have agreed that a number of tasks and jobs need to be shared out among members, including media contact, political lobbying, online activism and events coordination.

There was a strong feeling that some action needs to be organised as early as possible and the June meeting will work on the details of any proposals that come forward. Meetings are to be held once a month and if any Republic members or supporters would like to attend you should get in touch with Graham Smith at the usual address or email. Once a Scotland coordinator has been agreed contact details will be posted online.

Republic’s campaigning and fundraising strategies have been rewarded in recent months with a strong rate of growth in funds, members and media coverage. A big thank you to everyone who donated to the various appeals we’ve run over the past year. Income from membership and appeal donations has increased year on year by 75% while membership is up by 55% on last year. We’ve also calculated an increase in press coverage of 100%. This is all the result of increased activity, continued work on developing media strategies and the addition last year of an extra member of staff.

James has been focussing on fundraising and membership recruitment since joining the Republic team last year and the results speak for themselves. Much more work needs to be done however. We need to see continued growth in funding if we’re to expand further in terms of staff and resources. Recruiting new members and raising major donations are two top priorities. Our finances remain challenging and scaling back campaigning is not an option. With the constitutional reform agenda now gaining considerable media attention now is the time to be expanding and building so we can continue to make a forceful case for a republic.

Lib Dem MP Evan Harris introduced a private member’s bill into the Commons in March which was aimed at reforming the line of royal succession. Harris claimed his objective was not to further the republican cause but to end discrimination in the monarchy by removing the ban on the monarch from marrying a Catholic and removing discrimination against women. Republic pointed out that unless the monarch herself was allowed to be a Catholic the discrimination argument was simply misleading, while Evans was clearly missing the fundamental

“We need to see continued

growth in funding if we’re to

expand further in terms of staff

and resources.”

over story . . . cover story . . . cover story . . . cover story . . . cover story . . . cover story . . . cover

4 | Imagine

Republic secures increase in support and funds

point of the monarchy - that it discriminates against the whole country. Graham Smith debated the issue with Harris on BBC radio and Republic made clear that while it welcomed any opportunity to scrutinise the way the monarchy works the bill was clearly a waste of time. In a statement to the press Republic said: “We welcome this bill not because we believe the monarchy should be reformed, but because we believe the more we try to apply modern standards to this insane institution the weaker it will become." "The monarchy discriminates against us all, not just Catholics and women in the Windsor family. The more public debate we have about the rules of the monarchy the more people will question the whole institution." "The content of this bill will change little of substance. Its importance lies in the public debate it will generate." The bill was not passed.

Royal succession bill helps Republic

The Repbublic Blog features all the latest views, news and analysis from Graham Smith, James Gray and guest bloggers. Join the debate at www.republic.org.uk/blog

Republic was mentioned in the Commons debate on royal succession.

Imagine | 5

Republic has called for a full review of Andrew's “trade ambassador” role for UK Trade and Investment after a report found only 30% of businesses believed it had any impact. Republic told The Telegraph: "At a time when MPs are being scrutinised over their expenses it would be unforgivable if Andrew's £128k bill to the taxpayer wasn't also put under the microscope following this report.” Republic's Advisory Council met in central London recently. Around twenty eminent and high profile supporters attended, including Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Roy Greenslade and Anthony Holden. Republic has called for Prince Charles

to make his political affiliations clear after the Charities Commission found the Prince's Trust made an illegal donation of £10,000 to the Tories. The Commission severely criticised

the Prince's Trust for the donation. The Sun recently reported that taxpayers are being charged over a quarter of a million pounds a year to protect Prince Andrew's two daughters, despite the security risk being assessed as minimal. Republic told The Sun that this was "a disgraceful abuse of taxpayers' money" while Norman Baker MP said that the royals "seem to regard security officers as some kind of status symbol". Journalists Suzanne Moore, Francis

Wheen and Gary Younge signed up to Republic recently, as did the playwright Julia Pascal. The Freedom of Information campaigner Heather

Brooke also pledged her support for Republic. Heather is best know for her work exposing MPs' expenses and has pledged to support work to reveal the true cost of the monarchy.

This issue of Imagine comes at a hugely exciting time for Republic. As you will read about elsewhere in the magazine we

have made excellent progress in the last few months. We are now regularly quoted in the national press, even by the supposedly monarchist papers. With 'scoops' such as those reported on in the Channel 4 Dispatches programme earlier this year, we are not simply responding to the story – we are the story! This increased coverage in turn leads to new members, every one of which makes our campaign stronger and our collective voice louder. But we can't be complacent. We won't rest until we have achieved our goal of persuading a majority of the electorate to favour a republic. To do that we work to a professional campaign strategy,

developed by Republic's Board and staff with the input of many experts from the fields of PR and media. You can read much more about our 'campaign map', which sets out the content of our strategy, on pages 6 and 7.

Of course, there is only so much the staff and Directors of Republic can do. If our campaign is to succeed we need ordinary members like you to take action in your communities. Have you thought about writing to your local paper, for example? It may seem like a small gesture but it's a simple and effective way of spreading the word.

There are lots of other ways of getting more involved in the campaign, including a range of volunteering opportunities. Have a browse of our website for ideas. British democracy is facing its biggest crisis in generations. For the first time in decades we've seen serious discussion about the need for radical constitutional reform. Rest assured that Republic will be working hard to ensure the views of republicans like you are heard in the debate. Its our members who keep us going and its on your behalf that we campaign for a fully-functioning democracy where the people - not the Crown - are sovereign. I very much look forward to meeting you at our Annual Conference in London on June 20th. I’m sure it will be a great event. See you there!

Individual action is key to success Message from the Chair

John Campbell

“If our campaign is to succeed

we need ordinary members like

you to take action in your

communities.”

Republic continues to visit schools, clubs and societies to give talks and presentations on what we do and what we stand for. We also participate in organised debates. If you would like to invite Republic to give a talk please call Graham Smith on 07747 608 770. In the talks we cover the key issues, why we campaign for the abolition of the monarchy and what the alternatives are. We also talk about what Republic does, how we campaign and what plans we have for the future.

Republican Round-up REPUBLIC TALKS

www.republic.org.uk/talks

6 | Imagine

The Republic campaign map

Republic’s campaign covers a wide range of activities designed to raise our profile, promote greater political and popular support and to raise awareness of the issues. Our ‘campaign map’ has been devised to set out, in a clear and concise way, the various elements that make up a comprehensive campaign strategy.

e-Campaigning Campaigning online is of increasing importance in today’s 24/7 world. This part of our campaign is tied in, to some extent, with our media work, but it is also aimed at bypassing the media and reaching people directly via email, websites, blogs and other social networking tools such as Twitter. Our blog is increasingly busy with debate and comment and we have a very popular Facebook page, with around 2000 members who actively engage with us online.

Media Republic works tirelessly to increase media exposure and to raise the level and quality of debate in the media. This includes the press, radio, TV and the internet. As well as responding to stories and news items we work to make the news ourselves, using Freedom of Information requests, research and events to promote the republican debate. The media is a vital part of the overall campaign, giving us access to a wide audience around the UK.

PoIt is vWestmand W We rosuppocampcamp Our mthis alocal

Have you signed up to our Urgent Response Network? This is an excellent way to support Republic’s media work.

Check out our blog, Facebook page and Twitter account. These are lively and interactive ways to keep in touch with Republic.

Imagine | 7

olitics vital we continue to seek new political support in minster and in the devolved assemblies in Scotland Wales.

outinely keep our existing parliamentary orters updated on developments within the

paign and through a variety of lobbying paigns we aim to recruit new supporters.

members and supporters play a crucial role in area of campaigning, writing letters to their MPs on a range of issues.

Development Development is all about the growth of Republic’s resources through fundraising and membership recruitment. We’ve been running a very successful series of fundraising appeals, as well as conducting a process of recruiting high value donors. Our membership continues to grow, and our website has been re-designed to encourage people to add their name to our database. That way we can keep in touch with an ever growing support base.

We are increasingly seeking new ways to engage members and activists, to encourage people to get involved with campaigning in their own local areas. Two projects are being further developed in this area: Republic Towns and Republic Day. Republic Day on June 2nd is all about local and individual action around the country. Republic Towns is designed to get people working throughout the year to build support for Republic in their area.

Look out for news about Republic Towns and sign up to this new campaign. It’s a great way to meet new people and support Republic.

Writing to your MP is really important. Look out for our campaign alerts and check out the website for useful tips.

You can help us raise a steady income by signing up to make regular monthly payments online.

Community

As part of Republic’s commitment to promoting local activism around the UK a new project called Republic Towns is being developed. The project takes its inspiration from the Fair Trade Town campaign and is aimed squarely at giving a focus for members and supporters to campaign in their local area. Details are still being worked on (and suggestions are, as always, welcome),. It is expected the project will provide members with a set of targets for their local area or town. Any town or locality that achieves these goals will be declared a Republic town. More

details to follow.

8 | Imagine

Prince Charles has been in the news with increasing regularity in recent months as he continues to insist on interfering in contentious and political issues. His lectures and comments on health, the environment and architecture have proven useful to Republic in raising our profile. In April Charles openly opposed plans for a new development on the site of the old Chelsea barracks in west London, favouring a mock-Victorian alternative designed, surely by coincidence, by a personal friend of his. The row that ensued reopened old debates with architects which had been going on for 25 years, since his infamous ‘carbuncle’ speech. On this occasion he was pointedly accused of putting jobs at risk and of interfering in the democratic (if flawed) planning process, and unduly using his personal influence, both with the public and with the Qatari developers. Charles has also been flying around Europe proposing various ’green’ initiatives and drumming up support from politicians, in what can only be described as an openly political campaign. His policies on protecting rain forests have been criticised by international rain forest campaigners as inadequate and unhelpful, while it

has been pointed out that his own Duchy Originals company uses palm oil in its products, a major cause of rain forest depletion. Republic also revealed through its own research that Prince Charles’ charity, The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health, invests in oil and gas, further calling into question his credentials. Republic has made clear in the press that while Charles must be free to speak his mind he cannot also demand the exclusive right to be head of state when his mother dies. Monarchy and politics do not mix, and he has made his position untenable. We recently told the media: “Charles cannot be a monarch and still demand a voice in political debates. If his behaviour continues to be tolerated his accession to the throne would represent a serious threat to British democracy. We would be sent back 200 years to the days when the opinion of Kings held sway.”

MASSIVE TAX BREAK FOR CHARLES

Prince Charles received a massive tax-break recently after the government agreed an exclusive deal. The deal allows him to deduct costs of William and Harry’s PR office before calculating tax on the Duchy of Cornwall, saving him around £700,000 a year.

Annual Conference 2009

Saturday June 20th - 1pm to 5pm Directory of Social Change 24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2DP

Prince Charles continues to cause concern with string of interventions

Republic Towns

For the first time Republic is holding a newly styled Annual Conference open to everyone, members and non-members alike. The conference is being held separately from our Annual General Meeting, which will continue to be a members and guests only event in late October. We are delighted to announce that Claire Fox, Director of the Institute of Ideas think tank, will joining guest speakers Johann Hari and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

LAST TICKETS REMAINING!

Vicky Richardson

Journalist and editor of architecture magazine Blueprint, Vicky Richardson, signed up to Republic after coming out against Prince Charles’ interventions on planning. Vicky caused a stir by calling out “abolish the monarchy” at the end of Charles’ RIBA lecture. Vicky said, in explanation: “the deferential silence when 400 architects stood as a mark of respect for the prince was too much to bear.”

www.republic.org.uk/annualconference

Imagine | 9

Graham Smith We are in a crisis. The long list of MPs exposed daily in the Telegraph over their

expense claims, and the Commons’ battle over the Speaker’s future have seen trust in Britain’s political system sent into freefall. There are demands for more resignations , there are calls for a snap election and there are calls for sweeping reform. It’s been suggested by newspapers and even some senior MPs that the Queen should get involved, either by pushing the Speaker Michael Martin onto his sword (no longer necessary) or by dissolving parliament. And here we see an interesting aspect of the

whole expenses debate developing: when confidence in parliament and the whole system is shot to pieces, what should the Queen’s role be? Make no mistake, despite all the habits and “gentlemen’s agreements”

that shape our so-called parliamentary democracy, the Queen retains – formally at least – considerable power. As professor Adam Tomkins points out in an interview for Republic TV, if the Queen chooses to use these

powers, there isn’t a single legal mechanism available to stop her. She can dissolve parliament, she can appoint a new prime minister, she could choose to simply sack Brown

The biggest fundraising news since the last issue of Imagine has been our '10k Appeal'. We wanted to raise funds

specifically to challenge the royal PR machine, which on media promotion alone outspends Republic by at least 33 to 1.

With your support, we can expand our campaign to the tune of £10,000 and help close that gap – hopefully by Republic Day on June 2. At the time of writing we are well past the half way mark and nearing £6,000 – in just three weeks! That's an amazing achievement and shows just how committed to the cause you all are.

If you haven't yet made your donation there's still time. You can make an online donation at www.republic.org.uk/10kappeal or simply send a cheque to Republic at the usual address. The Palace PR machine has been in overdrive recently, illustrating just how important it is that we have the

resources to fight back. With your help, we can counter the monarchist myths — developing campaigns that expose royal spin, and get republican spokespeople into the media. The next big royal PR campaign will be around the release of the official Buckingham Palace and Clarence House financial reports at the end of June. There is much that is excluded from these reports but they do give us a broad overview of what the royals do with our money. There are the extravagant holidays, the luxury travel and of course that all-important

'communications' budget. The monarchy may have a virtually limitless sources of funds (you, the taxpayer) but we have the principles and the arguments on our side. That's why we continually punch well above our weight. With the right level of funds we can knock the monarchy out for good.

“At the time of writing we are

well past the half way mark and

nearing £6,000 - in just three

weeks!”

James Gray is Republic’s full-time Development Manager, with particular responsibility for fundraising and membership development.

o n l i n e @ republic.org.uk/fundraising

Fundraising news from James Gray

In need of leadership

Continued on page 10

“If the Queen chooses to use

these powers, there isn’t a

single legal mechanism available

to stop her.”

Crisis has left monarchy exposed.

The best way to keep in touch with Republic throughout the day. Join us on Facebook, take part in competitions, join in the debate or just enjoy some friendly banter. See the website for details.

and not replace him, or replace him with someone from outside the Commons. There are many things she can do – but what should she do? In a sense the Queen is “damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t” – and rightly so. It would be unthinkable and scandalous if she were to decide to act independently of the prime minister, to begin to wield her feudal powers, even if done so with the best of intentions. Such a move would trigger a monumental constitutional crisis, setting down a direct challenge to the last two hundred years of democratic progress. The monarchy would overnight become a deeply and politically contentious institution. Serious questions would be asked about how an unelected, unaccountable hereditary figure could

exercise such considerable power. Democrats would rightly point out that if there’s a problem that needs fixing – and few can deny such a problem exists – then it is down to the people, not to the Queen, to fix it. Such a confrontation between the power of the people and the power of the Crown could very well spell the end of the monarchy altogether. The Queen knows the risks, that’s why she won’t do a thing to help solve the current crisis. It is also why some ardent monarchists propose royal action, but only in the form of “steadying the ship”, whatever that means. Moreover, there are inherent PR dangers for the palace should the monarch get anywhere near the murky dealings of parliament and debates about openness, accountability and scrutiny. Any connection between the

monarchy and public cries of “snouts in the trough” will undoubtedly provoke unfavourable comparisons between the House of Commons and the House of Windsor. After all, a £15,000 profit for an MP who ‘flips’ his second home seems distinctly less scandalous when the Queen blows £23,000 of our money on a trip to the races. And then there’s her own second-home allowance, and her third-home allowance, and fourth-home allowance. As Peter McKay pointed out the Mail this week: “The current public anger directed at Parliament could easily spread into a wholesale re-evaluation of our entire constitutional set-up …

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg called for a written constitution. But can any modern constitution be written that protects the hereditary right of one family to provide our heads of state? What began as petty bickering over the perks of our rulers could bring down the entire rotting edifice.” So the Queen remains silent and aloof, well aware of her own position and what she must do to inoculate the monarchy from any threat that public anger may turn her way. As a result we are left with no head of state at all, at least none worth having. She is, as I said, damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t. For all her formal power modern conventions have rendered her powerless and pointless while the nation’s democracy struggles with a serious crisis the like of which we’ve rarely seen before. This is a damning indictment on the monarchy, and a challenge to

10 | Imagine

monarchists who claim the Queen’s lack of power as a virtue, or who entertain the fantasy that she is there to ‘advise and warn’ the prime minister. It is precisely at times like these when a head of state can play a vital role. If our head of state had been chosen from among the brightest and best, chosen by the people and for the people, and given public office on the proviso of transparency and accountability, then

she could act. Such a figure would command the mandate and the moral authority to stand above the squabbles of parliament, speak to the frustrations and anger of the people and demand action and resolution. She could, if all else fails, dissolve parliament and give the power to the people to start afresh, full in the knowledge that she too would be accountable for her actions. That is the role the British head of state should play at times like these. Instead we’re left with a charade, a lame duck head of state and a political crisis crying out for national leadership.

“There are inherent PR dangers

for the palace should the

monarch get anywhere near …

debates about openness.”

In need of leadership

“Current public anger directed

at Parliament could easily

spread into a wholesale re-

evaluation.”

“Instead we’re left with a

charade, a lame duck head of

state and a political crisis crying

out for national leadership.”

Graham Smith is Republic’s Campaign Manager. This article was originally published on the Guardian website and the Republic Blog at www.republic.org.uk/blog.

You can now keep up to date with all the latest news and campaign alerts by following RepublicStaff

Are you following us?

F i n d R e p u b l i c S t a f f o n

twitter.com/republicstaff

Continued from page 9

Imagine | 11

.

Director Profile

NAME: Charles Brooker DIRECTOR SINCE: Aug 2006 Charles has served as Vice-Chair for the past two years and was the first chair of the Policy and Strategy Committee. He had a career in the Trust Company of a major clearing bank, where he retired as a manager. Charles has been a member of a local authority and an active member of the Scout Association over many years.

Republic answers the most common

monarchist arguments.

They say: “Look at Europe, the

most stable countries are all

monarchies - so monarchy

must bring stability!”

REPUBLIC REPLIES

By ’stable’ monarchists mean that these countries have had a long history of having the same constitutional system, barring invasion during WWII.

It is a reasonably accurate observation that these stable countries have monarchies, but it is a nonsense to suggest that the stability is a product of having a monarchy in place. It is the other way around: they are still monarchies because they have been stable. Most monarchies fall at times of instability, war and revolution. At one time most of Europe was governed by one monarch or another. Those that faced revolution and war fell, those that didn’t survived. So clearly monarchy was no source of protection against instability.

When proposing this argument monarchists will cite Germany, Russia, Italy and so on, suggesting that they are republics with an unstable history. But these are all republics because their monarchies failed them. Indeed, all European republics are in essence failed monarchies. And there are more failed monarchies than there are successful ones. Germany is a very stable republic. It was designed to be after the war. If monarchies are so good at ensuring stability why didn’t the Allies reinstate the German Kaiser? It’s because the best guarantee of stability is democracy. The more democratic a country the more likely it is to contain and resolve divisions and disputes, so they won’t cause the sorts of violent conflicts and political crises that bring about instability.

Send your suggestions for Republic Replies to imagine@republic.org.uk

Republic Replies

“It is a nonsense to suggest that

the stability is a product of

having a monarchy in place. It

is the other way around.”

German republic is very stable.

Following stories about Prince Andrew’s daughter Eugenie taking round-the-clock police protection with her on a lengthy holiday abroad there has been widespread criticism of the growing costs of royal protection. Two police officers are with Eugenie at all times. A new shift must take over

every two weeks meaning two officers fly across the world in business class to relieve their colleagues. Recent reports have suggested a high level review is now taking place in the Met, which is responsible for the royal protection squad.

Royal protection costs criticised

WIN A MUG

Q What building was first described as a “carbuncle”?

A Answers to the usual address or email by July 20th.

The answer to the last competition was “the Navy”. The winner was Marjory Smith.

Want to do more for Republic? Have you thought about joining Republic’s Board of Directors? If you think you might be interested get in touch with Graham Smith to find out more. Call him on 07747 608 770 or email g.smith@republic.org.uk.

Sign up to Republic’s Urgent Response Network We want you to be our voice, and our eyes and ears. In today's 24/7 media environment news stories move quickly, so we need to be able to respond quickly and effectively when a story breaks. By signing up to the Urgent Response Network you can help strengthen our media presence - joining in online debates, sending emails or texts to news programmes, calling radio phone-in debates or writing to the press. With some issues additional parliamentary lobbying can also be important, to quickly reinforce our message to MPs and ministers. When a story breaks we will ask you to: Sign up today! * Join debates on various news websites * Sign online petitions or vote in online polls * Write to the BBC or other media outlets * Send emails to raises objections to media bias * Write to your local press or selected national newspapers * Write to your MP to raise issues highlighted by media stories And you can tell us... You can also alert us to stories that break, just send us an email or text if you see something about republicanism, the monarchy or constitutional reform.

www.republic.org.uk/urgentresponse

JOINING IS EASY Republic’s campaign work relies on the support of people like you, citizens who are committed to the idea of a republic. If you’re not a member already you can join online or over the phone.

Republic Campaign Ltd is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee operating under the name ‘Republic’. Registered number: 05891072. Registered address: Dalton House, 60 Windsor Avenue, London SW19 2RR.

Find out more at www.republic.org.uk

Republic is a campaigning organisation supported by thousands of British citizens around the country. It’s easy to get involved. This regular page shows you some of the simple things you can do to help promote Republic and make the case for change.

Imagine: how far can yours go?

Did you know, this magazine is a valuable promotional opportunity waiting to happen? Once you’ve read it, don’t file it in the bin, pass it on to friends, family or work colleagues.

You could even leave it lying around in waiting rooms or staff canteens. Help spread the word and promote Republic with your copy of Imagine. Leave your copy around for someone to discover.

TOP TIP Send your Top Tip to imagine@republic.org.uk

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Join the Republic Facebook group and get involved in debates. You can post your own news articles and keep up with what’s going on in the campaign really easily.

From Yvette Gibson Republic member

o n l i n e @ republic.org.uk/takeaction