BC United MLA Lorne Doerkson is defecting from his party to join the ranks of John Rustad and the ascendent Conservative Party of BC.
The Counter Signal has just confirmed that the BC Conservatives’ announcement later today is focused on MLA Doerkson’s floor crossing.
And according to some reports, MLAs behind the scenes have been begging Doerkson to stay on the sinking ship that is the BC United Party. Meanwhile, if true, the Conservatives have actively courted half of the United Party’s MLAs while the other half are being left to lose their elections.
The only viable alternative to the BC NDP
For months now, it’s been clear that the BC United Party is dying out, and the Conservative Party of BC is the only party with a shot of dethroning the BC NDP.
Nonetheless, many have been concerned about vote splitting, with some suggesting a coalition or merger to prevent this from happening.
Now, it looks like that isn’t necessary, as the best candidates are flocking to the winning party of their own accord.
Merger talks never took place, despite Falcon’s hinting they did
Speaking to reporters two weeks ago, BC United leader Kevin Falcon claimed that the two parties were in talks about a possible merger after months of less-than-favourable polling.
“Four more years of that government [the NDP], I think, will be, frankly, economically devastating for the province of British Columbia,” Falcon told reporters. “And that’s why we have to put aside our own egos, our own party issues, everything else, and just figure out whether there’s common ground.”
Speaking to The Counter Signal, BCCP’s executive director, Angelo Isidorou, denied Falcon’s hint at the time, saying the last time the BC Conservatives extended an olive branch to the BCU, Kevin Flacon told them to “F*ck off.”
“As noted by our leader, the Conservative Party of BC is committed to running 93 candidates for the upcoming election. Whether it’s every poll in the past nine months or the massive crowds at our rallies, it’s become clear the Conservative Party of BC is the only viable option to defeat the BC NDP,” Isidorou told The Counter Signal.
