BC Liberals change name to BC United, say it's worth the gamble

Kevin Falcon admits the name change from the established BC Liberals to BC United is a gamble.

But he said it’s a move aimed at bringing in a large swath of followers, especially younger voters.

Speaking in Kelowna Thursday, the day after the Liberals formally consigned that name to history, Falcon said the new BC United moniker is all about diversity.

“Is it a gamble? Of course it is,” he told Kelowna10. "But one of the things I want to do is reach a larger swath of British Columbians and young people are a big part of that. ... If you look at our [new logo] colours for example, teal and pink aren’t the traditional colours you see in political parties.”

A launch video for the new brand shows young people discussing the importance of a political party that is diverse and non-divisive, something Falcon has pledged to offer the electorate.

Asked how he can reconcile the new party name while he is firmly associated with the old BC Liberal brand - where he served as a minister and was once led by premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark - Falcon said his decade away from politics is important.

“I spent [the last] ten years in the private sector so I come back as a new leader with experience in both the public sector that I had historically, that I’m very, very proud of , and the private sector experience I’ve gotten,” he explained.

Falcon, who championed the name change during his leadership campaign, said it's a bold, bridge-building move, and voters would have 18 months to become familiar with the new name before the fixed provincial election date in 2024.

"This is very exciting for me," he said in an interview before the official launch.

"It is not often a major established party that had a name for 30 years has come forward and said we're going to do a complete shift and a total new direction."

The new party logo includes a stylized bridge with the words BC United.

It replaces the party's former primary colours of red, blue and yellow, with pink and teal tones. He said they still reflect the party's legacy but with shifting emphasis.

The party announced in November that 80 per cent of Liberal members voted to proceed with the name change to BC United.

"You've got religious differences, ethnic differences, socio-economic differences, but this is sort of how we can unite and those differences become a strength, just like a bridge."

BC United is confident NDP Premier David Eby will stick to his previous promises that he will not call an early election, he said, adding the party will be prepared if that changes.

Former NDP premier John Horgan called a snap election in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, winning a majority and reducing the Liberals to 28 seats in the 87-seat legislature.

-- With files from The Canadian Press