BC Premier David Eby’s approval noticeably dropped in the latest polls compared to the previous quarter, with voters increasingly considering the Conservative alternative.
According to the latest Angus Reid poll, while Eby’s approval still remains relatively high, it has noticeably shrunk by 5 points in the last quarter, down from 48% to 43%, with more now saying they disapprove (48%) than approve of the Premier.
As the pollsters note, the drop in approval largely stems from Eby and the BC NDP’s relationship with the federal Liberals, highlighted by their joint effort to decriminalize hard drugs, which has led to an explosion in overdoses and is a widely unpopular decision.
Being aware of this, Eby has tried to distance himself from Trudeau and the Liberals, throwing the occasional mild criticism their way as the provincial elections approach.
However, with the Conservatives surging ahead of BC United and standing poised to catch the BC NDP, things may be neck-and-neck by election time this October.
If the BC Conservatives lose, it will be because of BC United
According to the latest Research Co. poll, the BC Conservatives have risen 31 points to 33% since the 2020 election under the leadership of John Rustad, just 9 points away from the BC NDP who sit at 40% (8 points down since the 2020 election).
Meanwhile, the former second-place party, BC United, has dropped 23 points to 11% as voters, and even members, increasingly clamour to the revitalized Conservative Party of BC.
However, while it’s clear BC United has been all but replaced in the province as the new opposition to the NDP, the election will largely come down to whether or not the Conservatives can convert the remaining 11% of the failing United Party before the election, as it doesn’t look like United Party leader Kevin Falcon is willing to concede defeat.
Nonetheless, the BC Conservatives are moving full-steam ahead, with many MLAs crossing party lines to join the ascendent Conservatives—a good sign of things to come as the election approaches.
