Prior to 1903, there was no strong party discipline in the province, and governments rarely lasted more than two years as independent-minded members changed allegiances. MLAs were elected under a myriad of party labels many as Independents, and no one party held strong majorities.
The first party government, in 1903, was Conservative. And disciplined party caucuses have been the backbone of BC provincial politics ever since.
A list of political parties currently registered with Elections BC can be found at the Elections BC website. [1]
Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | MLAs | In Legislature | In Government | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
British Columbia New Democratic Party | 1933 | Social democracy | David Eby | 57 | 1933–present | 1972–1975, 1991–2001, 2017–present | |
BC United | 1903 | Conservatism, Neoliberalism | Kevin Falcon | 26 | 1903–1912, 1916–1975, 1991–present | 1916–1928, 1933–1952, 2001–2017 | |
Green Party of British Columbia | 1985 | Green politics | Sonia Furstenau | 2 | 2013–present | N/A | |
Conservative Party of British Columbia | 1903 | Conservatism, Economic liberalism, Right-wing populism, Social conservatism | John Rustad | 2 | 1903–1933, 1937–1956, 1971–1979, 1986, 2012, 2023–present | 1903–1916, 1928–1933, 1941–1952 |
Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | In legislature | In Government | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
British Columbia Social Credit Party | 1935 | Social credit, Conservatism, Right-wing populism | Vacant | 1952–1996 | 1952–1972, 1975–1991 |
Name | Founded | Ideology | In Legislature | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Labour/Independent Labour/Federated Labour | N/A | Social democracy | 1903–1907, 1920–1924, 1928–1960 | |
Socialist Party of British Columbia | 1901 | Socialism, Impossiblism | 1905–1916 | |
Social Democratic Party of British Columbia | 1907 | Social democracy | 1912–1916 | |
People's Party of British Columbia | N/A | Populism | 1920–1924 | |
Provincial Party of British Columbia | 1923 | Agrarianism | 1924–1928 | |
Non Partisan Independent Group | 1933 | Conservatism | 1933–37 | |
Unionist Party of British Columbia | 1933 | Conservatism | 1933–1937 | |
British Columbia Social Constructive Party | 1936 | Reformism, Social Democracy | 1936–1937 | |
United Party of British Columbia | 1986 | |||
Progressive Democratic Alliance | 1993 | Centrism | 1993–1997 | |
Reform Party of British Columbia | 1983 | Right-wing populism | 1994–1997 | |
Democratic Reform British Columbia | 2005 | Centrism, Progressivism, Populism | 2005 |
Political parties currently registered to Elections BC as of April 17, 2024. [2]
Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | |
---|---|---|---|---|
British Columbia Action Party | 2013 | Fiscal conservatism | Vacant | |
BC Cascadia Party | 2016 | Cascadian separatism | Troy Gibbons | |
Christian Heritage Party of British Columbia | 2010 | Christian right, Constitutionalism, Social conservatism | Rod Taylor | |
Communist Party of British Columbia | 1924 | Communism, Marxism-Leninism | Kimball Cariou | |
British Columbia Direct Democracy Party | 2020 [3] | Direct democracy | John Walsh | |
Freedom Party of British Columbia | 2023 [4] | Fiscal conservatism | Amrit Birring | |
British Columbia Libertarian Party | 1986 | Libertarianism | Alex Joehl | |
Party of Citizens Who Have Decided To Think For Ourselves & Be Our Own Politicians | 2001 election (original) 2023 (relaunch) [5] | Gordon Watson | ||
B.C. Vision | 2013 | Fiscal conservatism, Green politics | Jagmohan Bhandari | |
Your Political Party of British Columbia | 2002 | Open government | James Filipelli |
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