United Conservative Party Expels Rath as Alberta Independence Leaders Regroup

Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party has revoked the membership of Jeffrey Rath, a leading figure in the province’s independence movement, and Premier Danielle Smith said Friday that anyone in the party who still wants to argue for leaving Canada needs a new political home.

The same day, Cameron Davies resigned as leader of the Republican Party of Alberta, a pro-independence party. Both moves came nearly two weeks after 75 percent of voters chose to remain in Canada over starting the process toward a binding independence referendum.

The Expulsion

“Jeff Rath’s membership in the United Conservative Party was revoked for cause on October 29, effective immediately,” party communications director Dave Prisco said in a statement to Global News. Prisco said the decision came under Article 7 of the party’s membership rules “because of his public conduct toward the party and its leader.”

Smith confirmed the decision to reporters in Calgary on Friday and said the party’s executive director made it over code of conduct issues. She said Rath wanted to “turn the UCP into an independence party.” She added: “The objective of the party is to get re-elected.”

Rath had been working to force a vote on Smith’s leadership at the party’s annual meeting in Calgary at the end of November. He told Global News he will appeal, though he expects to lose, and that he has asked the party to state the cause.

“If they think that it’s gonna stop people within the party from campaigning for a leadership review and removing her as leader, they just probably poured a whole bunch of gasoline on the fire,” Rath said.

The Pledge

Smith said October 27 that people seeking seats on the party’s board at the annual meeting must sign a declaration vowing not to advocate for separation. Candidates in next year’s provincial election must also sign, Global News reported, and existing board members are expected to honor the pledge.

“The whole point of a political party is to faithfully represent your constituents,” Smith said. About two-thirds of the party’s candidates have yet to be named before the October 2027 election.

Davies Steps Down

Davies announced his resignation in a letter. “In the aftermath of the ‘referendum to have a referendum,’ it is time for new leadership, new voices, and new talents to emerge,” he wrote, according to CTV News.

He said the move “does not mean my departure from the fight” and that he will “work to organize Alberta First groups across the province ahead of the next provincial election.” His party, then called the Buffalo Party of Alberta, received 106 votes in the 2023 provincial election, CTV reported.

Smith has promised no further separation vote while she is premier.