Only one potential BC Liberal leader could topple the NDP, poll finds

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As former Surrey mayor Dianne Watts reportedly considers a run for the leadership of the BC Liberals, a new poll may provide a lot of encouragement.

If an election were held tomorrow, Watts may be the only potential candidate who would topple the current government.

Insights West asked 812 people how they would vote, stacking potential Liberal candidates up against the current NDP government. While Mike de Jong would give the NDP a run for their money, the poll suggests Dianne Watts would out-perform the governing party by a whole five points.

Mario Canseco with the pollster says there are a couple reasons for that:

“Because of her name recognition and the fact that she’s an outsider, there’s more people who voted for the NDP in the last election who are thinking, ‘Well, maybe I did this because I didn’t like Christy Clark’s style. This is an opportunity to go back to the party that I like under a leader that I would support.'”

“The BC Liberals tend to do very well when the candidates who become the next leader is an outsider. I think this is what happened with Christy Clark back in 2011,” he adds.

Canseco tells us Watts has the ability to convince key voting blocks to vote Liberal again. “There’s definitely a chance for some of those voters in Surrey and other areas of Metro Vancouver to support the Liberals if Dianne Watts is leader. This is not something that happens with some of the other candidates.”

 

No date has been set for the Liberal leadership contest. Nobody has officially thrown their hat into the ring yet.

Just over half of those polled approve of the job that John Horgan is doing as premier; 31 per cent disapprove.

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