BC Liberals renamed BC United

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BC Liberals become BC United after party members vote in favor of rebranding.

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The new name received the support of 80% of the 8,000 members who voted online between November 13th and Tuesday at 10pm.

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Party leader Kevin Falcon, who backed the new name, said BC United represents a big tent party that brings people together “regardless of who they love or what god they pray to.”

However, it is unclear when the name change will take effect. Party officials said a vote must be ratified and the constitution amended in early 2023 before deciding when to make the switch.

Speaking to reporters in Victoria on Wednesday, Falcon said the party would have to be strategic about the timing of the BC NDP to avoid holding a breakup election so soon after its rebranding. If voters are still unfamiliar with BC United, the ruling party may have an advantage.

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“One of the things we have to be wise about is that we have no control over the timing of the next election,” a firm date of October 2024.

“The NDP government has confirmed that it has canceled the (2020) elections before the fixed election date during the pandemic. to.”

Niki Sharma, BC NDP caucus vice chair and Vancouver-Hastings MLA, said: Voters said they would not be fooled by the new BC liberal identity.

“Kevin Falcon can change the name of the party, but he can’t change the records.

BC Liberals had already registered BC United under the alias Elections BC. They keep a registry of BC Liberal names to prevent them from being adopted by another party.

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Falcon has called for a name change since he took over as party leader in February after disastrous October 2020 elections.

Under former leader Andrew Wilkinson, who was criticized for not getting in touch with voters every day, the party lost 13 seats in its former liberal stronghold, its lowest number of seats in three decades.

The Falcon says the name change represents the party’s shift to the right and its efforts to court the BC Conservative Party, which won a larger share of the vote in the recent by-elections in South Surrey and the Falcon’s horseback in Vancouver-Kirchena. I rejected the proposal that

Falcon said some have accused him of being too left-wing.

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“It’s never left or right,” he said, noting that the majority of British Columbians aren’t party members with cards, but support parties that make their lives more affordable. .

BC Liberal had attempted to change the name several times before, including in 1996 and 2013, but the idea did not find enough support from partisans who worried it would dilute the brand.

kderosa@postmedia.com

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