Its official, the BC Liberal Party, is no more, and members have collectively decided that BC United will be the new name.
In late September, BC United emerged as the frontrunner for the official opposition from thousands of options, and the voting period closed late last night.
🚨6 HOURS left to vote on the proposed BC Liberal Party name change!🚨
Voting will close TONIGHT at 10pm PST.
Still haven’t voted? Visit 👉 https://t.co/mC9Pjo0qHZ to vote now!
Have questions? Call toll free at 1-844-801-4606. pic.twitter.com/65Sknh0cS1
— BC Liberals (@bcliberals) November 16, 2022
If you think it sounds like a soccer team, you’re probably not alone, and a press release from BC United almost seemed to play into that idea, beginning by saying, “With a solid assist from over 8,000 members, the BC Liberal Party has voted 80% in favour of changing the party name to ‘BC United.'”
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In response to a question from a reporter, BC United leader Kevin Falcon said if people want to refer to them as a soccer team, he’s cool with it.
The former name left many confused about the party’s stance, as the BC Liberal Party, in recent history, has not been the most left-leaning of the options in the province. On the contrary, party views tended to steer more towards the center-right.
Falcon admitted as much in a statement in early November.
“As BC Liberals know very well, our name has been a constant topic of debate within our party for decades,” he said.
“This is an important step for the future of our party and I’m pleased all members will finally get the chance to have their say in a vote. As I’ve said before, I’ll be voting in favour of this name change and I hope our members do too.”
Falcon also shared his thoughts following the unanimous approval.
“I’m excited to move forward as BC United because it really reflects our big tent party, united for a common purpose of making life better for British Columbians.”
Falcon’s focus on being a “big tent party” refers to one that welcomes a broad spectrum of views.
At a press conference about the name change on Wednesday morning, Falcon passed on some criticism to soon-to-be sworn-in BC Premier David Eby, addressing crime in Vancouver and the situation in the Downtown Eastside.
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