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reform (c. 1300, “to convert into another and better form,” from Latin reformare “to change, transform”)
Older people will have grown up with the idea of reform connected to a left wing or socialist tradition. The Reform Bills of the 19th century brought in an advance for those without power. The electoral system was reformed to enfranchise the masses.
The Labour Government of 1945 changed the pattern of welfare in Britain, and this was described at the time as, and still is, reform. Clearly, this is part of a liberal set of ideas about how the state can act more fairly than charity and philanthropy. Again, the word “reform” signifies an advance for those who previously had not received a fair share.
With its roots in Latin and then in French, it started to appear in English in the 13th century and often came attached to personal behaviour. This meaning survives: we say he is a “reformed character”. From the 16th century onwards, it was the Christianity ruled from Rome that was reformed, most famously by Luther and Calvin. From the mid-19th century onwards, observant Jews could choose between orthodox, liberal, or Reform Judaism. As with reforms in other religions, the use of modern languages replaced traditional ancient languages. So, reform carries a sense of modernisation in these contexts.
At some point in the last 20 or 30 years, the right or centre-right has adopted reform to mean almost precisely the opposite. Any act of diminishing or dissolving the role of the state is claimed to be reform. In recent times, the word has been repeated over and over again in relation to the Greek economy as European ministers suggest there is something hopelessly backward about Greece. A quick scan of right wing economists’ websites shows demands for legislation to make it easier to sack workers, implementation of less generous pensions and the hiring of fewer state employees – all in the name of reform.
At one level, this doesn’t matter. Policies are policies and it doesn’t matter what heading they’re given. And yet, part of me thinks that those in power deliberately find cosy words to describe the actions that punish those without power.
