In the 1952 provincial election the CCF actually won the most votes of any party – 34% and 18 seats. But in a surprising turn of events, the second choice of many non-CCF voters was a new party, a populist conservative movement, Social Credit. In the final count in 1952, Social Credit won fewer votes, but one more seat than the CCF. W.A.C. Bennett became Premier, leading a minority government. It was a bitter disappointment for the CCF and their leader Harold Winch, the long-serving CCF MLA from Vancouver East. Winch resigned. Social Credit quickly abolished the transferable ballot voting system and returned to the first-past-the-post system we have in BC today. In the 1953 provincial election Social Credit secured a majority and was re-elected in every BC election until 1972.
1952: Missed it by that much!
