Legislature members from Alberta’s two conservative parties will hold their first joint caucus meeting today, but they will do it without Progressive Conservative Richard Starke.
Starke, the PC member from the riding of Vermilion-Lloydminster, has announced he won’t join the new United Conservative Party caucus.
In a statement on social media, Starke says he joined the PCs to embrace the values of progressive conservatism espoused by former premier Peter Lougheed.
He says it’s become clear to him that people who value those ideals are not welcome in the new party.
Starke ran for the leadership of the PCs earlier this year, but lost to Jason Kenney.
Over the weekend, members of the Wildrose party and the PCs voted overwhelmingly to join forces in time for the next election in 2019.