The Reform Group was an organisation based in Dublin that sought to have Ireland rejoin the Commonwealth of Nations.
History
The group was launched in 1998 as The Reform Movement[1] shortly after the successful referendum ratifying the Good Friday Agreement and describing itself as a coalition of "new unionists for the new millennium".[2][3]
A number of its founders, such as Anne Holliday, had been members of the anti-republican group, New Consensus.[4] At its launch, the group called for:
- support for the creation of the British–Irish Council as set out in the Good Friday Agreement
- the extension of full British citizenship rights to those who sought it in Ireland
- the appointment of a senior official in the Department of the Taoiseach with special responsibility for minority affairs
- legislative change so that five of the 11 Senators currently nominated by the Taoiseach would be drawn from minority groups in Ireland
- State support for Ulster Scots speakers
- increased resources for the Garda Síochána to help it tackle crime and terrorism
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.[5] 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.[6]
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.[7] It was described in The Phoenix magazine as a "ridiculous Unionist ginger group".[8]
Logo
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.[9] This was a controversial choice of symbol[10] as the authenticity of the symbol as one representing Ireland has often been debated.[11]
References
- ^ The Reform Movement (newsletter, example of then name usage)
- ^ New Unionist Lobby Group set up in Republic, The Irish Times, 26 May 1998
- ^ "Could Ireland really rejoin the Commonwealth?".
- ^ Founder member of New Consensus peace group, The Irish Times, 16 April 2011
- ^ FAQ reform.org Archived April 2009
- ^ Aims of The Reform Movement, ReformGroup.blog Archived 13 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Republic of Ireland should rejoin Commonwealth, says senator". The Belfast Telegraph. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
- ^ "Affairs of the Nation - Cruiser for the chop?" (PDF). The Phoenix magazine. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 13 July 2010.[dead link]
- ^ The Reform Movement Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2004 wherein it states in reference to the red saltire cross badge"It is seen amongst others in the arms of Queens University, the Royal Irish Academy, The Royal College of Surgeons, and of course in the badge of the Reform Movement."
- ^ The Reform Movement Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2004 wherein it states "THE CROSS of Saint Patrick remains as controversial today as it has been for centuries."
- ^ The Reform Movement Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2004 wherein it states "Given all this evidence, it is not possible to dismiss the authenticity the Cross of Saint Patrick in 1783. No-one has ever produced definitive evidence either way and it is lightly the flag will continue to remain something of a mystery.