Reform Party

Reform Party Venden Partẹ Parti de la r'forme
Leader	Jim Reynolds
Deputy Leader	Andrew Sinclair
President	Charles Crampton
Founder	Robert Reynolds
Founded	April 4, 1980 (1980-04-04)
Merger of	Ps, ULP, RLs
Headquarters	RefHQ, 394 Anton Road, Morwall
Newspaper	The Clarion
Student wing	Reform Students
Youth wing	Young Reformers
Women's wing	Reform Women
Membership (2021)	153,193
Ideology	Liberalism Social liberalism Progressivism Pro-Eucleanism
Political position	Centre to centre-left
Continental affiliation	PLE Avant
Colours	Yellow
Regional divisions	Reform Wealdland Reform Flurland Reform Morwall Reform Overseas
Chamber of Commons	44 / 600
Chamber of Peers	42 / 300
Euclean Parliament	24 / 116
Folkmoot of Wealdland	23 / 355
Assembly of Flurland	21 / 313
Greater Morwall Council	7 / 101
Website
reform.org.es
Political parties Elections

The Reform Party (Swathish: Venden Partẹ, Flurian: Parti de la r'forme) is a centre to centre-left liberal political party in Estmere, which currently serves as an opposition party in Parliament.

The foundations for the party were first laid when the Progressives split from the SDCP in 1978, following their economic shift to the left and perceived abandonment of social reform. Along with the United Liberal Party and the Radical Liberals, the Progressives occupied the centre-ground of Estmerish politics. The parties merged together, along with moderate defectors from the SDU, in 1980, forming the modern Reform Party.

Led by former Cabinet minister Robert Reynolds, the party swept to power in the 1981 election, winning a majority and forming a government, against a backdrop of industrial strife, recession and stagflation. The first Reynolds administration set up the social market economy, supported the EC and embarked on a number of liberalising social reforms. The party dominated the political scence throughout the 1980s, with Reynolds becoming the longest-serving post-war Prime Minister. Reynolds stepped down in November 1990 partly in response to the Bloodgate scandal, and was replaced by deputy Melissa Smith, who became the first female Prime Minister of Estmere. With the party mired in scandal, Smith led it to a defeat in the 1992 election, and the party returned to opposition. The party struggled to regain the public's trust throughout the 1990s, but benefited from public infighting within the Sotirian Democratic Union over Estmere's adoption of the Euclo. Reform, in comparison to the fractious SDU, was relatively united on the issue of the Euclo.

Heidi Reid led the party to victory in 1999, becoming Estmere's second female Prime Minister, and the first to be elected. Her government was staunchly neoliberal, and focused on pushing through social reforms and pushing for privatisation where possible. Initially, the Reid government was supported by the SDCP, but after the 2005 recession and the 2006 All Saints' Day attacks, Reid introduced austerity and tightened security laws, instead securing the support of the Sotirian Democratic Union in a national government. Reid resigned in 2008, and was replaced by Daniel Hawkins, who won the snap 2008 election and largely continued the Reid government. Hawkins lost the 2012 election, and Reform returned to opposition.

The party unofficially supported most of the SDU governments austerity policy, but did not officially return to government until 2016, when Richard Graham negotiated a coalition deal with then-leader Esther Bennett. This coalition government focused on continued austerity and economic liberalism, with aspects of social liberalism. When Graham resigned in 2018, Reform continued to back the coalition government despite rumours of otherwise. After Reginald Wilton-Smyth's victory in the 2018 election, the party opted to continue their coalition deal, but has since seen its support decline, with the SDCP being seen to have overtaken it as the second party, and in the midst of the gambled pensions scandal the party was accused of collusion with the opposition. The party lost seats in the 2021 election, and leader Bennett stood down. Jim Reynolds was elected leader in August 2021.

Alongside the SDU and the SDCP, Reform is considered one of the big three parties, having provided 4 of the 26 post-war Prime Ministers, and two of the longest serving. The party as a whole is considered to be liberal, progressive and Pro-Euclean, with strong social liberal and market liberal factions. The party has been led by Jim Reynolds since 2021, and he has been considered a unifying figure from the party centre.

History

Leadership

Leaders

• Robert Reynolds (1980–1990)
• Melissa Smith (1990–1993)
• Albé de la Hay (1993–1996)
• Hugh Potter (1996–1997)
• Heidi Reid (1997–2008)
• Daniel Hawkins (2008–2014)
• Esther Bennett (2014–2021)
• Jim Reynolds (2021–present)

Living former leaders

As of September 2021, there are five living former leaders of the Reform Party.

• 

  Melissa Smith
  (1990–1993)
  born 1931 (age 92)

• 

  Albé de la Hay
  (1993–1996)
  born 1936 (age 88)

• 

  Heidi Reid
  (1997–2008)
  born 1952 (age 71)

• 

  Daniel Hawkins
  (2008–2014)
  born 1966 (age 57)

• 

  Esther Bennett
  (2014–2021)
  born 1971 (age 53)