UPDATE: BC United Party announces plans to maintain registered political party status

UPDATE 2:45 p.m. September 6th: This story has been updated to include quotes provided by Dan Davies.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — In the wake of the BC United Party suspending its provincial election campaign last week, the party has announced it still intends to run “a select number of candidates.”

The party sent an email to its members that contained the announcement.

According to the email, despite suspending its province-wide campaign and revoking all its candidate nominations, the party intends to run some candidates to maintain its status as a registered political party with Elections BC.

“The candidates and ridings have not been decided yet,” the email reads.

The email emphasizes that suspending the province-wide campaign does not “fold our party or erase our organization.”

It also addresses complaints leveled against party leadership by MLAs and candidates formerly associated with the party.

“The last week has been very difficult for our members, MLAs, candidates and staff,” it reads. “While we know this decision was gut-wrenching, we strongly believe it gives British Columbians the best opportunity to defeat the NDP and secure a free-enterprise victory in the Provincial Election this October.”

Dan Davies and Mike Bernier, former members of the party running for re-election in the Peace River North and Peace River South ridings, respectively, each announced this week that they are now running as Independent candidates.

Davies is running against Conservative candidate Jordan Kealy, while Bernier will run against Conservative Larry Neufeld.

When asked for comment, Bernier said the email highlights “how rushed the decision was” to suspend the campaign and that the people who made that decision didn’t think it through.

“The email that went out as evidence that they are almost trying to have it both ways,” Bernier added.

Davies also confirmed that, given everything that’s transpired in the days since the party suspended its campaign, he has “no interest” in running as one of its select candidates.

“The only reason they’re trying to do this is to work the system somehow to keep status and the benefits that that comes with,” Davies says.

“The party hasn’t even had the decency to reach out to us and talk us through things on what has happened. For them to send an email out looking for support is insulting.”