In Monday's opinion piece for The Telegraph, one self-assured pundit claimed that 'perhaps Brighton should hold its own referendum, on independence from the UK' because of the enforced recycling rules, the liberal non-gender specific council forms, and the possible issues with Brexit some city citizens may have.
Whether these profound political policies are enough for Brighton to consider its own sovereignty, the Telegraph writer was clearly unaware of a group called The People's Republic of Brighton and Hove (PRBH).
The Republic was started this time last year as a Facebook page, in defiance of the Conservative election majority, by comedian, broadcaster, and musician Jason Smart. There are currently 18,927 members.
The group has many diverse aims and ambitions, but they can be summarized as "to survive five years of Tory rule and maybe to do some things about it".
Charity, community action, and the common good provided fertile ground for a large sub-cultural group to create a real authentic alternative to the cards dealt in modern Britain.
However, the satire that runs through the core of the group is just as influential as the politics and the DIY ethos.
Needless to say, when the group found out about the Telegraph article they jumped at the opportunity to imagine what self-determination would look like:
A petition to grant Brighton & Hove independence reached 1,662 signatures last year.