The Reform Group
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| Formation | 1998 (19 years ago) |
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| Type | Advocacy group |
| Website | reformgroup |
The Reform Group is an organisation based in Dublin which seeks to have the Republic of Ireland rejoin the Commonwealth of Nations and to promote "a more inclusive definition of Irish identity" throughout all of Ireland.
The group was launched in 1998 under its then name The Reform Movement shortly after the successful referendum ratifying the Good Friday Agreement and describing itself as a coalition of "new unionists for the new millennium". It was described in 2005 by The Phoenix as a "ridiculous Unionist ginger group".
A number of its founders, such as Anne Holliday, had been members of the anti-republican group, New Consensus. At its launch, the group called for:
The group claims to be a voice for "alternative viewpoints" of "Irishmen and Irishwomen who do not fit in the seamless definition" of nationalist or unionist. It has previously voiced support for citizens of Ireland being given the right to apply for British passports. The group has also expressed views that are critical of the status of the Irish language.
In May 2010, the group launched a book called, Ireland and the Commonwealth: Towards Membership. Speaking at the launch were independent Senator David Norris, writer Mary Kenny and Trinity College professor Robert Martin, all of whom stated their support for Ireland rejoining the Commonwealth.
At its inception and for some years afterwards, the "badge" or logo of The Reform Group was Saint Patrick's Cross, a white flag with a red saltire. This was a controversial choice of symbol. The authenticity of the symbol as one representing Ireland has often been debated. However, in recent years The Reform Movement has downplayed this symbol and it no longer appears prominently on the organisation's website.
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