The Populist Revolution Isn't Over - And B.C. Just Proved It

There’s nothing like a good underdog story to inspire and motivate the masses. And though it could be argued that Kerry-Lynne Findlay is anything but an underdog (given her 20 odd years of experience as a federal MP) she definitely came up from way behind to take the win in the B.C. Conservative leadership race. 

As inspiring as it can be to watch someone overcome the odds, what’s more interesting is to understand why and how it happened, especially because the same thing is playing out in Alberta. 

British Columbians are activated, given the plummeting popularity of Premier David Eby's governing NDP, with the grassroots charged over issues like crime, illicit drug use and the government's adoption of the controversial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and the legal firestorm this has caused throughout the province.

Following the recent underdog victory by Findlay, those paying attention find themselves wondering if she will be able to unite the fractured right and become the next premier.

Politics has been fundamentally changed in both B.C. and Alberta. These changes are directly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and the people who decided to involve themselves in the political process as a result of how it was handled. 

In Alberta, it’s well-known in political circles that the grassroots came together to remove former Premier Jason Kenney in response to how he handled the COVID lockdowns, mandates and measures imposed by the government. What’s less well known is that a similar impulse was alive in B.C. and it helped to create the B.C. Conservative party in its current form. 

Although the Conservative Party of B.C. was founded in 1903, before the 2024 election it had not even held a single seat in legislature since 1975. The steam the party picked up to almost overtake the NDP and form government in 2024 was due in large part to mounting frustration from grassroots people whose lives were impacted by the pandemic.

During the 2024 election and as a result of the Conservatives leading in the polls, the B.C. United party (formerly known as the B.C. Liberal Party) stepped out of the race. Many MLAs from that party then joined the Conservative party, creating a party with two competing factions. 

In Alberta and in B.C., the people who have been in politics for decades now have to contend with a large, newly-activated swath of people who are very critical about how things have been going. 

This played out in the B.C. leadership race as accusations against the frontrunner in the Conservative Party leadership race, Caroline Elliot, for being a secret Liberal were continually hurled in her direction. It was true, she had been a Liberal during the Liberal Party’s rule of the right in B.C. many years ago; however, this accusation was really about something else. And Findlay managed to own that something else, in no small part as a result of being the underdog in the 2026 race.

At its heart, the allegation against Elliot for being a deceptive Liberal isn’t about policy, in fact Elliot and Findlay have incredibly similar platforms and positions. It’s actually about the willingness of party leadership to engage in democracy and allow bottom-up party governance and decision making. 

As the race for leadership went on, Findlay displayed real experience and wisdom but she also dodged attacks that people assumed came from “the establishment”. She engaged directly with people in a way that made them feel she would listen to them, she also created relationships with the MLAs from that new, more populist faction and solidified herself as the grassroots candidate.

Now, Findlay must manage the factions of the party and create a unified whole. This is a tall order given the infighting and acrimony that framed the leadership race. 

In Alberta, Smith faces a similar problem. What could be more divisive to a provincial political party than having warring separatist factions? And what is the separatist faction in Alberta really about if it isn’t the desire to be listened to and taken seriously by the federal government? Alberta's independence faction is rooted in one thing: wanting a better deal from Ottawa, including electoral reform and more autonomy.

Now that the people have heard the call of their promised democracy, getting them back to life the way it was before might be an impossible task. Success in politics going forward will mean listening to the people and the B.C. election just proved it.