List of British republicans

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
• 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
• Alex O'Connor, English YouTuber and atheism 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 Party

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 novelist
• 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
• Paul Mason, political commentator and author
• Fiona Phillips, journalist and broadcaster
• Amol Rajan, journalist and broadcaster
• 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, 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 Radcliffe
• Dougray Scott
• Elaine C. Smith
• Abigail Thorn, YouTuber, actress and playwright
• 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 Brand
• 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

• 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)
• Pat Kane, musician (Hue and Cry), journalist and political activist
• Kunt and the Gang, musician
• Sean Moore, musician (Manic Street Preachers)
• Morrissey, singer-songwriter and author (formerly of The Smiths)
• Craig Reid, musician (The Proclaimers)
• Charlie Reid, musician (The Proclaimers)
• Paul Simonon, musician (formerly of The Clash)
• Robert Smith, musician (The Cure)
• 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, lawyer
• 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 writer
• 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

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)
• 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
• Emrys Hughes (1894–1969), MP (Labour) and journalist
• 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)
• 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 editor
• 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 author
• Barbara Hall (1923–2022), crossword compiler and writer
• James Harrington (1611–1677), political theorist and author
• Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011), author and columnist
• Leonard Hobhouse (1864–1929), political theorist
• Anthony Holden (1947–2023), writer, broadcaster and critic
• Mervyn Jones (1922–2010), writer
• Ethel Mannin (1900–1984), novelist and travel writer
• Kingsley Martin (1897–1969), editor of the New Statesman, 1930–60
• John Milton (1608–1674), poet
• Edwin Morgan (1920–2010), Makar (National Poet for Scotland) and translator
• Jan Morris (1926–2020), historian and writer
• William Morris (1834–1896), writer and artist
• Deborah Orr (1962–2019), journalist
• Thomas Paine (1737–1809), English-American author and revolutionary
• Ronald Payne (1926–2013), journalist and war correspondent
• Edward Pearce (1939–2018), New Statesman contributor
• Claire Rayner (1931–2010), journalist
• George W. M. Reynolds (1814–1879), author and journalist
• Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822), English Romantic poet
• Sue Townsend (1946–2014), author (wrote the best-selling political satire The Queen and I, in which Britain becomes a republic, later adapted as a TV drama on Sky One, and its sequel, Queen Camilla)
• H. G. Wells (1866–1946), writer
• Peter Whelan (1931–2014), playwright
• Andreas Whittam Smith (1937–2025), journalist (co-founder and first editor of The Independent)
• Gwyn A. Williams (1925–1995), historian
• Benjamin Zephaniah (1958–2023), poet

Singers, musicians and composers

• Shane MacGowan (1957–2023), singer and songwriter (The Pogues)
• Robert Simpson (1921–1997), composer

Actors

• Honor Blackman (1925–2020)
• Andrew Ray (1939–2003), actor who played the Duke of York (George VI) in Edward and Mrs Simpson and the Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII) in Passion and Paradise

Artists

• Terence Conran (1931–2020), designer and restaurateur
• William James Linton (1812–1897), wood-engraver and author

Legal professionals

• Anthony Scrivener (1935–2015), QC
• Nathaniel Wade (c. 1666?–1718), English lawyer

Academics

• Patrick Collinson (1929–2011), historian
• Bernard Crick (1929–2008), academic and political philosopher
• Stephen Haseler (1942–2017), professor, author

Military personnel

• Robert Overton (c. 1609–1678), English soldier and scholar
• John Lawson (ca. 1615–1665), naval officer

Religious figures

• Joseph Fawcett (c. 1758–1804), English Presbyterian minister and poet
• Donald Soper (1903–1998), Methodist minister and peer (Labour)

Media figures

• Max Clifford (1943–2017), publicist
• Tony Garnett (1936–2020), television producer

Other public figures

• Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654), botanist, herbalist, physician and astrologer

Groups

• Breakthrough Party
• Labour for a Republic
• Our Republic
• Plaid Cymru
• Republic
• Scottish Greens
• Scottish Republican Socialist Movement
• Scottish Socialist Party

Notes

References