BC United is attempting to reclaim some of its lost support after an ambitious name change and the emergence of a competitive alternative.
The British Columbia opposition party is asking Elections BC for permission to list its old name, the BC Liberals, alongside its new name on the ballot for the province’s upcoming election in October.
The party membership overwhelmingly approved the change from the BC Liberals to BC United last year.
However, BC United has plummeted in public opinion polls in the past year, largely due to surging support for the BC Conservative party.
As the October election draws nearer, Falcon has tried to attract many of the voters who have abandoned BC United for the Conservatives by reminding voters of the party’s old name.
According to CHEK News’ Rob Shaw, BC United is asking Election BC to have its name read “BC United (formerly the BC Liberal Party)” on the ballot.
According to Falcon, approximately 30% of party members are unaware that the BC Liberals changed their name to BC United, according to an internal poll conducted by the party.
“We’ve got 30 per cent of the voters that don’t know who BC United is and don’t understand the connection between BC Liberal,” said Falcon.
“By just emphasizing the fact that we are the former BC Liberal Party, I think it’s important because we do have an important track record to be very proud — not perfect, no government ever is, but a good track record.”
True North reached out to BC United for comment, but no response was given.
Elections BC confirmed in a statement that parties can make such requests.
“Under the Election Act, political parties can apply to have their ballot name changed,” the election body told True North. “The Act does not specifically prohibit a party from listing its former name on the ballot. BC United has the name BC Liberal Party registered with us as one of its other names.”
In the race for the BC Liberal leadership, Falcon promised that he would consider changing the party’s name in order to reflect the party’s commitment to being a free-enterprise coalition and to disentangle their reputation with the federal Liberal party.
After a June 2022 convention in which two-thirds of party delegates voted to consider a name change, BC United emerged as the favored name for the party.
Of the 18% of party members who voted in Nov. 2022, 80% voted to approve the name change which was officially ratified in Apr. 2023.
However, Falcon and his party have received criticism for changing the name of a party that already has significant name recognition and a legacy of electoral success in the early 1900’s and the 2000’s.
A recent poll from Research Co. found that support for the NDP rests at 41% with the BC Conservatives slightly trailing at 38%. The BC Green party are polling as the third place party at 10% while BC United are only supported by 9% of voters.
