The BC Liberals are pitching a new team name to its membership.
After a province-wide consultation, the party has chosen BC United as the name that will go forward to party members for a vote by the end of the year.
“BC United is a fresh alternative that expresses the Party’s longstanding commitment to unity across a broad coalition of party members, as well as highlighting British Columbia front and centre in the name choice,” a release from the party reads.
BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon promised to change the party’s name as part of his leadership campaign.
More conservative members of the party have raised issues about the current name not reflecting the full, free-enterprise coalition.
In June, two-thirds of delegates at the BC Liberal convention voted to consider a new name.
Through an online portal, suggestion boxes, text messages, QR codes and discussions as part of Falcon’s summer tour, more than 2,000 suggestions were submitted during a three-month period.
Elections BC has very specific rules around names, and many of the most popular choices were not available because they had been used at some point during the last four elections.
These options included BC Party and BC First.
“I want to thank all the members who have taken part in the process so far, and I urge them to participate in the vote when the time comes later this year,” Falcon said.
“I’ll personally be voting in favour of changing the party name, and I’m hopeful our members do, too.”
A name change does not necessarily mean the BC Liberals will be BC United in the next provincial election.
The party says should the name be approved by party members, it will be implemented strategically and responsibly, recognizing that the BC Liberals do not control the timing of the next election.
“We are going to be smart about this, and that’s been the commitment from the beginning,” BC Liberal vice-president Caroline Elliott said.
“The NDP have broken the fixed election law before — calling a selfish snap election at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — and they won’t hesitate to do it again.
“If the vote passes, the name will be changed, but there will be flexibility to ensure the NDP don’t take advantage of the situation for their own political gain.”