A veteran Alberta political operative has publicly resigned from the United Conservative Party (UCP), accusing it of betraying its conservative principles and descending into “corruption and authoritarianism.”
Cameron Davies, a former key figure in the Wildrose Party and early supporter of the UCP’s formation, announced his departure in a scathing social media statement on Thursday — although he wasn't involved in the UCP for a while, as he was behind the Buffalo Party of Alberta, which changed its name to the Republican Party of Alberta.
He criticized the party for abandoning its grassroots base, silencing dissent, and mismanaging Alberta’s finances, pointing to a projected $5-billion deficit and ongoing scandals within Alberta Health Services (AHS).
“I supported the merger that formed the UCP because I believed Alberta needed a unified, principled, and accountable conservative movement,” Davies wrote. “What we got instead is a party that preaches conservative values but governs like the very establishment it once vowed to replace.”
Davies, who helped the Wildrose Party secure 21 seats and official opposition status in the 2015 election, expressed dismay at the UCP’s internal culture. He accused the party of issuing “gag orders” and purging dissenters, citing the recent removal of “principled MLAs” from caucus for speaking out.
“Their dismissal sends a chilling message to anyone who believes elected officials should answer to the people, not to party insiders,” he said.
He also criticized the UCP’s fiscal record, claiming the government has overseen “an ever-expanding bureaucracy” and “new layers of political appointees” despite promises of fiscal discipline.
“This is not conservative governance. This is institutional failure,” Davies said.
Davies, who claimed to have spent years knocking on doors, raising funds, and training candidates for the UCP, including supporting Premier Danielle Smith’s election, said he could no longer remain part of a “political machine that has so profoundly lost its moral compass.”
Davies’ exit follows reports of internal strife within the UCP, including the February 2025 resignation of Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie from his cabinet post over alleged corruption in government contracts.
Guthrie was later removed from the UCP caucus. In his statement, Davies called on UCP members to “ask the tough questions” and warned that “silencing dissent is not strength. It is cowardice.”
The Western Standard has reached out to the UCP and premier's office for comment.