Article content

The NDP will face a single united conservative force in the next election, after Alberta’s Wildrose and Progressive Conservative parties voted overwhelmingly on the weekend to merge forces.

Both parties secured more than 95 per cent pro-unity votes from their members.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Wildrose, Progressive Conservative parties to merge with 95% approval Back to video

As unity wins were declared in Red Deer at a Wildrose special general meeting, and in Calgary at a PC celebration, rooms erupted with raucous cheers from party supporters.

The next step on the agenda is a joint caucus meeting on Monday in Edmonton, where MLAs will pick an interim leader.

Soon after that, the United Conservative Party will be registered with Elections Alberta.

Then comes a leadership race.

At this point, Brian Jean and Calgary lawyer Doug Schweitzer are the only candidates who have thrown their hat into the ring.

Jean’s unity celebration speech was his last as Wildrose leader, he told the crowd Saturday, before declaring his goal to be Alberta’s next premier to cheers of “Brian, Brian, Brian.”