BC Social Credit Party

The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing party of British Columbia for more than 30 years between 1952 and 1991, although there was a break between 1972 and 1975 while the NDP was in power.

Though ostensibly the British Columbia wing of the Canadian social credit movement, the party with former BC Conservative MLA W. A. C. Bennett at the helm shed its Social Credit ideology in favour of a mixture of populism and conservatism and became a political vehicle for opponents of the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation to unite and keep the CCF and its successor, the New Democratic Party out of power. Bennett's Socreds took power in 1952 forming a minority government and, after changing the electoral system, swept to a majority the next year staying in power until 1972. The elder Bennett's party encouraged development of the economy through megaprojects and highway construction.

Despite being a free enterprise party, the Bennett government formed BC Hydro in 1961 by nationalizing the province's largest private hydroelectric concern to make sure that it could not oppose the government's hydroelectric dam construction program. It also formed the BC Ferries in 1958 and established the Bank of British Columbia which was 25% owned by the provincial government.

Under the leadership of "Wacky" Bennett's son, William R. Bennett the party modernized itself putting populism behind and becoming an uneasy coalition of Liberals, Christian conservatives from the province's Bible Belt and fiscal conservatives from the corporate sector with the latter firmly in control. The party, for the most part, eschewed the megaprojects of the elder Bennett (with the exception of Expo 86 and the Coquihalla Highway) and embraced a fiscally conservative program.

As a result, the party built up a small political engine that managed to win the 1983 election, in spite of Bennett's controversial "Restraint" program. This was nicknamed the "Baby Blue Machine", and consisted of political advisors primarily imported from the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party. It never did become a major political apparatus like the Big Blue Machine in Ontario did, as Bennett decided to retire in 1986.

All Socred governments attempted to curb the power of trade unions and also limited social welfare spending

Under Bennett's successor, Bill Vander Zalm, control of the party shifted from urban fiscal conservatives to social conservatives causing the coalition to unravel. This process was exacerbated by Vander Zalm's eccentricity and the constant scandals which plagued his government. As well, Vander Zalm allowed his principal secretary, David Poole to amass a substantial amount of power, despite being unelected.

Decline

The 1991 election saw Social Credit's defeat and the formation of an NDP government. Moderate former Socred voters had switched their support to the BC Liberal Party, relegating the Socreds to third place, with only seven seats. Vander Zalm's successor as premier, Rita Johnston, failed to win her own seat, and resigned as leader of the party. More party infighting occurred as Grace McCarthy was elected to replace her.

Following its 1991 election defeat the party sank into obscurity as most of its remaining members joined the socially conservative British Columbia Reform Party or British Columbia Unity Party (which the Socreds helped found, but left due to dissatisfaction with the way the party was run).

In the 1996 provincial election, the Socreds lost all their remaining seats in the legislature, and received only 0.4% of the vote.

In the 2001 provincial election, what was left of the party only ran two candidates. Grant Mitton achieved some success in Peace River South, placing second with 1,726 votes (17.4%). He subsequently left to become leader of the British Columbia Party. The other candidate, Carrol Barbara Woolsey, in Vancouver-Hastings, placed 5th of 6 candidates with 222 votes (1.15% of the total).

Today the party still technically exists, but is essentially a fringe party, similar in status to the Marijuana Party. It is not taken seriously by voters at large, the media, or even most past Socred members or politicians. There is always talk that the remanants of the party may decide to "merge" with another party, although this would likely be of little pratical relevance at this point.

Party leaders

W. A. C. Bennett (1951-1972) *
William R. Bennett (1972-1986) *

Rita Johnston (1991-1992) *
Grace McCarthy (1992-1994)
Larry Gillanders (1994-1996)
Eric Buckley (1996-?)

* = also served as Premier of British Columbia