Vaughn Palmer: The bitterness left for many in United by Leader Kevin Falcon's sudden shutdown of the party campaign will linger for years

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VICTORIA — Some B.C. United members must have wondered if they were victims of a practical joke when they opened this month’s mail from party headquarters.

“Our records indicate that your membership in B.C. United will expire,” one of those missives read, in part. “Please take the time to renew your membership today.”

Seriously? The party that took itself out of the running for the election and withdrew its candidates in as ruthless a takedown as has been seen in B.C. politics — that party was now asking its members to renew?

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You can’t put up a United lawn sign because there aren’t any. You can’t run for the party. You can’t even vote for it, except in a tiny number of ridings where it will run placeholder candidates.

But this is your big chance to get in on the ground floor — or maybe the sub-basement — of the rebuilding effort, or at least the brutal recriminations, once the dust settles from this year’s election.

And such a deal too, as noted by CKNW host Jas Johal, who posted a copy of the membership renewal pitch on social media: “It is still only $10 for four years and it only takes a few minutes.”

But the shame could last a generation.

Then again, the membership letter could........

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