As a part of the party’s rebranding, BC Liberals propose BC United for the part’s new name

The Canadian Press via The Kelowna Daily Courier

In late September, the BC Liberal Party announced a proposed name change and party rebranding. After considering 2,000 suggestions submitted over a three-month long membership consultation period, the party has settled on the name BC United. At the end of this year, party members will vote on the new name.

The name change symbolizes a rebranding and renewal of the party and attempts to clarify the party goals and commitments.

“BC United expresses a long-standing commitment to unity across a broad party of members,” said Caroline Elliott, the party’s vice-president, in an interview with The Daily Hive. The party says the name change aims to emphasize the party’s disconnect from the federal Liberal Party led by Justin Trudeau.

Elliott also emphasized the deliberate lack of the word “party” in the new name choice, stating, “We went with [BC United] opposed to the BC United Party as we think it better reflects a renewed, refreshed approach to politics.”

“I think sometimes us political people need reminding that the vast majority of British Columbians don’t belong to a political party,” she said.

The name change was a part of the leadership campaign promises of the leader of the party, Kevin Falcon. If ratified, the change will be no small project, inducing a rebranding of all the party’s social media accounts, their website, signs, and the legal process of a name change for it to be eligible for upcoming elections.

The party has promised to carry out this name change in the most responsible and strategic way possible, to protect its party’s members and BC’s voters. The party will receive the right to have the current name on the ballots if the NDP calls an election before the scheduled one in 2024.

“We owe it to members, recognizing we’re not the governing party and don’t control the election timing. The NDP has broken the fixed election timing before, and there’s no doubt they will do so again if it’s in their interests… we will ensure that flexibility is there so we’re not tying our own hands.” said Elliott in her interview.

Elliott promises the modernization of the party will go beyond the name change. To show for this modernization, she cited the win of the Surrey-South byelection by Elenore Sturko, a well-known LGBTQTS+ advocate and a RCMP spokesperson.

“We’re under no illusions. We know that renewal is way more than a potential name change, and meaningful renewal I believe is already underway. It’s way more than a name change,” said Elliott.

The voting process for the approval of the name change will be announced in coming weeks.