B.C. United Party MLA Dan Ashton has announced he will be leaving the party to run for the federal Conservative Party, just four weeks after another United Party MLA, Ellis Ross, said he was making the same move. Mr. Ashton made the announcement on social media on Feb. 23, thanking everyone for their support. “I had never expected so many people to encourage me to put my name forward,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Thank you to everyone who reached out. Your encouragement and support means a lot and I am taking this next step.”
Mr. Ashton will be running for the only NDP seat in the province, South Okanagan-Similkameen-West Kootenay. The NDP MP currently holding the seat, Richard Cannings, announced in September 2023 that he would not be seeking re-election for the riding. He has served for over a decade in federal politics, an NDP news release said.
Mr. Cannings said he “looked forward to sharing his time with the many non-profits he has worked with, opportunities to reconnect with the region full-time, and time with family, including new grandchildren.” In December 2023, Mr. Ashton said he would not be seeking another term as an MLA. “When the next provincial election occurs, it will be my time to move on as your MLA,” he posted on his Facebook page. “While I am looking forward to finishing my term, it is important to me that there is enough time to find another member of our community who will ultimately become our next MLA.”
First elected MLA in 2013, Mr. Ashton was reelected in 2017 and 2020. He is serving as the shadow minister for Municipal Affairs and previously served in various other roles in government. On Jan. 22, BC United Party’s Mr. Ross announced his departure to run for the Conservatives in Skeena-Bulkley Valley. He said running for the federal Conservatives was “a tough decision” that took him more than six months to make.
“I believe in the potential of this province and our country,” Mr. Ross said in the news release. “We need to unleash the power of our people and develop our resources in a sustainable way. We need to get rid of the bureaucracy holding up energy projects and cancel the NDP-Liberal carbon tax once and for all.” Mr. Ross started his political career in 2011 after he was elected chief of the Haisla Nation and was later elected as the MLA for Skeena in 2017, and re-elected in 2020.