Republic's new podcast, From Below the Balcony, aims to inform, inspire and entertain. From Below the Balcony will not only look at the monarchy, it will also address wider issues of equality, democracy and how we can create a fairer society.
Hosts Graham Smith and Abby Tarttelin will be chatting to some great guests and having interesting conversations about the issues raised by the campaign.
All the latest episodes
You can catch up with the podcast on your favorite podcast platform, or watch the full episode and extra clips on Republic's YouTube channel.
The podcast has an initial run of ten episodes, with a new one coming out each fortnight.
The monarchy is fake history! What you think you know about kings and queens probably isn't true - or at least not the whole truth.
In this first episode of Republic's new podcast From Below the Balcony, Graham Smith and Abby Tarttelin talk to author and journalist Andrew Scott, aka Otto English, about the fake history of the royal family.
Heroes and heroins or gangsters and dictators. Find out what Henry V, Charles II, George IV and other monarchs were really like - and which one Andrew actually quite likes!
Subscribe to the From Below the Balcony Patreon here to support the podcast and gain access to exclusive content: www.patreon.com/c/RepublicCampaign
Andrew Scott, who writes under the pen name Otto English, is the author of the best-selling books Fake History and Fake Heroes as well as his latest work, Notorious, out on May 22nd.
Scott has written for numerous publications including Politico, the New Statesman, Independent and The Byline Times where his column ‘Myth of the Month’ debunks some of the best-known fallacies of history.
Next episodes
On April 7th we catch up with author and journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Subscribe to Republic's email list or YouTube channel to get all the latest episodes of From Below the Balcony straight to your inbox.
Change the country for good
Republic's new rallying call, Change the country for good, aims to connect the issue of fundamental reform to a wide range of issues. By changing the nation's hardwiring we will unlock huge potential.
The importance of abolishing the monarchy goes well beyond scrapping an unaccountable, hereditary institution. While abolition won't solve all the nation's challenges, it will make solving those issues easier. A more democratic society will mean we can achieve more equitable and better solutions to economic, social and environmental injustice.
From Below the Balcony is aimed at a wide audience, whether you support Republic or not, whether you like the royals or not. Through inspiring, informative and entertaining content the podcast will show how issues of inequality, injustice and reform are connected.
The podcast will include a range of guests from the worlds of entertainment, media, journalism, politics and campaigning. Through their stories and views, as we chat about the issues that matter to them, we will connect the cause of a republic to the ambition to change the country for good.
Graham Smith is the CEO of Republic and author of Abolish the Monarchy: Why we should and How we will, published by Penguin in 2023.
Graham has been a staunch advocate of a republic and the abolition of the monarchy for as long as he can remember, and has run Republic for twenty years. He is regularly quoted in the press and speaks on air, in public debates and is invited to give talks around the UK and overseas. He was one of eight activists unlawfully arrested on the day of the coronation. His powerful response the following day earned him recognition as one of PR Week's 'communicators of the year'.
Abby Tarttelin is the creator of Substack How The Light Gets In, and author of novels Dead Girls, Golden Boy, and Flick, a “radical non-binary, pro-intersex” novel that deconstructs socio-cultural gender norms.
Abby’s lifelong republicanism stems from strong beliefs in equality and antihierarchical communities. As a writer and artist, she explores these themes in essays, collages, and fictional narratives, offering analysis and indictment of patriarchal and heteronormative constructs. As a politics podcast junkie, Abby is tickled pink to interview Below The Balcony’s guests about their relationship to republicanism, and the journeys and stories that led them to support the abolition of the monarchy.
Thank you for visiting the website. Here's the plan.
Public opinion has shifted dramatically over recent years, with a third now wanting the monarchy gone. Fewer than 20% are excited by the royals, while most people are on the fence and open to persuasion.
Republic has been growing louder and stronger since the coronation.
Now is the time to keep building, campaigning and persuading, and you're part of that plan.
By becoming a member for as little as £4 a month you can be part of that growing movement for change.
Here's the plan.
Our strategy is simple enough - but it's going to take a lot of hard work. Republic is ready for the challenge, you can do your bit by joining today.
Republic's focus is on building the movement by drawing in the support of those who already agree, while also campaigning to persuade the next 20% to support a democratic alternative to the monarchy.
As the polls shift further in our favour - and they will - our attention will turn to putting pressure on politicians to give us a referendum on the issue. It's a referendum we know we can win when the time is right.
By becoming a member of Republic you will help the campaign grow, to ensure we can shift those polls.
The politicians don't even have to agree with a republic - they just need to know that a referendum is necessary because popular support for the monarchy has vanished.
Republic's strategy is to drive public opinion and use that shift in support to pressure politicians. This has to be an issue led by ordinary voters, and the MPs will follow.
Your membership makes all the difference.
To build the movement and persuade the next 20% we need to keep doing two things: Make a lot of noise and engage in serious debate. We make noise to attract attention to the issue, with protests, media work, digital content and much more. And we use the media, social media, video and events to engage with the public in a serious debate about the monarchy and the democratic alternative.
That's it! We know from experience that most people are open to persuasion. We need to keep making that noise and engaging in debate to see the polls shift.
And that's where you come in.
Join today from as little as £4 a month.
Republic isn't bankrolled by billionaires. The campaign is funded by ordinary people around the country, people who want to see the an end to the monarchy. People like you!
Join today!
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