A poll shows that almost half of the British Commonwealth favours abolishing the monarchy.

A survey conducted by former Conservative Party deputy chairman Michael Ashcroft suggests that six of the 14 overseas countries within Britain’s Commonwealth realm would prefer to ditch the monarchy. Among Australian respondents, 42% were in favor of becoming a republic, with 47% pushing to be a republic and just 23% objecting. Canada was among four countries in which polling supported the view that the monarchy is a “racist and colonialist institution” and should have nothing to do with it. Only two of the 14 countries surveyed – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Tuvalu – said that they would overwhelmingly vote to remain British crown subjects.