United–Reform Coalition
The United–Reform Coalition was a partnership between New Zealand’s United Party and Reform Party from 1931 to 1936. It was later known as the National Political Federation from May 1935. The aim was to unite the centre-right to fight the Great Depression and stop Labour from winning more seats.
Leading the coalition were George Forbes (Prime Minister) and Deputy Leader Gordon Coates. The group formed on 18 September 1931 and ended on 14 May 1936, when United and Reform joined to become the New Zealand National Party.
Ideology and position: The coalition stood for conservatism, classical liberalism, and anti-socialism, positioning itself from center to center-right.
1931 election and government actions: The coalition agreed to back a single anti-Labour ticket to prevent Labour from winning due to vote-splitting. They won the 1931 election with about 54% of the popular vote. Reform won 28 seats and United 19, with Forbes as Prime Minister. The government sought to reduce government spending, balance the budget, and create relief projects to help the unemployed. A famous but false story claimed that unemployment minister Gordon Coates told unemployed men to “eat grass.”
1935 election and dissolution: In the 1935 election, Labour won 46.1% of the vote to the coalition’s 32.9%, and Labour gained 53 seats to the coalition’s 16 (with 11 seats going to minor parties and independents). After this defeat, the Dominion Executive of the National Political Federation began planning a new party. In May 1936, United, Reform, and the National Political Federation merged to form the National Party.
Why this mattered: The experience showed how vote-splitting among anti-Labour parties could help Labour win seats. For example, in Auckland West and Auckland East, anti-Labour candidates split the vote, allowing Labour to win those seats.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:23 (CET).