Carole James resigns as B.C. NDP leader after caucus revolt

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      Carole James has announced she is resigning as leader of the B.C. New Democratic Party.

      An emotional James told reporters today (December 6) in Victoria that she will step down as soon as the NDP caucus chooses an interim leader.

      "I saw no alternative," James said, according to the Globe and Mail.

      James said she'll stay on as MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill.

      She has been party leader since 2003.

      James's announcement came a day after the NDP postponed an emergency caucus meeting scheduled to deal with dissenting MLAs.

      Last week, long-time NDP MLA Jenny Kwan had unleashed a scathing critique of her leadership and called for the party to hold a leadership convention.

      "The BC NDP needs to have a leadership race in order to revitalize itself and to unify the party," Kwan wrote. "We need an NDP that British Columbians can vote for with confidence. We need an NDP with progressive policies and a decisive leader who can communicate these ideas to the public."

      You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.

      Comments

      13 Comments

      dreamer

      Dec 6, 2010 at 11:27am

      B.C. has a great future even with the world in chaos but only if we the people can grasp the opportunity and take control of our own affairs. Carole is a nice person with good intentions but she and her team had become impediments to that, which became doubly apparent as soon as Campbell agreed to step aside. Surely there are better choices.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Grant Schaan

      Dec 6, 2010 at 11:31am

      Now if only Moe Sihota would resign; then there would be real hope...

      0 0Rating: 0

      Strong New Democrat

      Dec 6, 2010 at 11:41am

      Besides losing an Honest & Decent Leader We Just Lost Democracy and the party lost a bunch of old members who actually care about trivial things like that.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Steve Y

      Dec 6, 2010 at 12:15pm

      I agree the NDP needs progressive policies like they have in sweden... school vouchers so that kids can get a decent education, private-public partnerships for better health care. Sweden consistently ranks as one of the world's best countries because it is a progressive, socialist country. For far too long the NDP has focused on the socialist policies of the 1970's not the socialist policies of the 2010's and beyond.

      0 0Rating: 0

      UWSofty

      Dec 6, 2010 at 12:15pm

      Time for a new leader that will lead the NDP to victory and bring about real change in this province.

      0 0Rating: 0

      glen p robbins

      Dec 6, 2010 at 12:52pm

      I have what I believe are some interesting numbers from Vancouver -- preparing now.

      0 0Rating: 0

      OK good!

      Dec 6, 2010 at 2:05pm

      Thank god the speculation about the status of bother leaders is over.
      Now can we get back to reporting on something a little more interesting in the world of politics. The straight has always been good at covering some of the more marginal but equally political issues in the city. I really hope we see more in the coming weeks about other issues that are important to us. So far no paper has covered the issue of gentrification in Mount Pleasant for example. There are massive changes going on.

      0 0Rating: 0

      LGM

      Dec 6, 2010 at 2:09pm

      Nice, try, but vouchers and PPP's are NOT progressive. They are part of the problem with our present day economy.Sweden is doing as well as it is because it has far more socio-democratic policy, than not.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Birdy

      Dec 6, 2010 at 3:59pm

      Hey LGM & Steve Y

      Is Sweden's exponentially growing $157,000,000,000 debt "progressive?" Their population is only 9,300,000, so that's nearly $17,000 per citizen. A little better than Canada, but not by much.

      You want sustainability? You have to start with sustainably created money that does not require growth and inflation just to exist. We must learn to allow nations to plateau.

      Europe deserves not your praise, it is failing, just like every other country that uses DEBT for MONEY. Even China owes over $4 trillion...

      Neither socialism nor capitalism will work for long within the confines of an UNSUSTAINABLE MONETARY SYSTEM

      Why? Because *principal* doesn't equal *principal plus interest*. When you demand interest on money when it's created, the only way to pay the interest is to print more money (which comes with more interest) Rinse and repeat.

      The table is tilted and it's all in plain sight. To all you "wingers" out there, be you right or left; the teams you play for have the SAME owners. Stop buying into the partisan circus.

      0 0Rating: 0

      Mike J

      Dec 6, 2010 at 4:24pm

      No , we can't have Moe go we need him there as a clear picture of all that is the NDP , brought , paid for , and accountable to ....The brotherhood of unions in this Province

      0 0Rating: 0