BC United says some candidates will run in provincial election despite endorsing Conservatives, suspending campaign

After a lot of back and forth in the political sphere this past week, BC United party leadership says it will in fact be running some candidates in the provincial election after all.

Confirmation of the party running comes just days after Leader Kevin Flacon announced it was suspending BC United’s campaign and instead endorsing the BC Conservatives.

In an email to party members Friday, supplied to 1130 NewsRadio, the party stated: “The last week has been very difficult for our members, MLAs, candidates, and staff.”

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“While we know this decision was gut-wrenching, we strongly believe it gives British Columbians the best opportunity to defeat the NDP and secure a free-enterprise victory.”

The email goes on to say that BC United “remains a registered political party with Elections BC.”

The email states that as leader Falcon had the power to revoke nominations and suspend the upcoming election campaign. However, “we intend on running a select number of candidates in the upcoming election.”

“The intention is to ensure that BC United (formerly the BC Liberal Party) remains a registered political party with Elections BC,” the email stated. “The candidates and ridings have not yet been decided.”

“Again, I want to reiterate that we have simply suspended the full province-wide BC United campaign for this upcoming provincial election. This does not fold our part or erase our organization.”

But some MLAs say the decision is more likely related to the fact that only parties gaining five per cent of the popular vote are eligible to receive an annual allowance from the Chief Electoral officer between now and the provincial election.

BCU MLA Karin Kirkpatrick tells 1130 NewsRadio that’s cash the party likely really needs over the next few years to make sure it can pay the bills.

However, there is some sticky campaign messaging BC United has to navigate. It has to run enough candidates that five per cent of the population votes for it, but it also doesn’t want to take away ridings from the BC Conservatives.

“I’m thinking that they’ll have to look at ridings that are clearly solid, Conservative wins. They can’t look at a riding where there’ll be a small margin. They’ll have to make sure that they’ve got that riding.”

She says the party has to be strategic, but how this will happen is unclear.

“I certainly cannot imagine that any of my colleagues right now, or any of the independents, would stand up and take on that role to lose on behalf of a party that has thoroughly abandoned them,” she said.

The party says that after the Oct. 19 election, the party will have a “thorough discussion” about the future of BC United.

“If there is a desire within our membership to rebuild the Party, with a plausible path to do so, we want to be in a position to act on this,” it said in the email.

The party didn’t answer most of our questions, but did reaffirm that running in the October election is to keep its registered status.

Elections BC previously told 1130 that parties can remain registered if they don’t run a candidate in this election, as long as they run at least two in 2028.

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