David Eby's approval surges 10 points as trade tensions boost his standing

B.C. Premier David Eby's approval rating has jumped 10 points to 41 per cent in the latest Angus Reid Institute poll, marking a significant recovery from 31 per cent in June as trade friction with the U.S. appears to be working in his political favour.

Angus Reid attributes the rebound partly to how Eby has responded to escalating trade tensions. The premier has positioned himself as a defender of Canadian interests, introducing signs at a Rally for Canada event declaring British Columbia is "Strong, proud, and will never be the 51st state. Sorry!"

Yet Eby remains below the 50 per cent approval threshold. Forty-six per cent of B.C. residents disapprove of his performance, and the province faces significant fiscal challenges — a $13.8 billion deficit that has grown by half a billion dollars since February, partly due to a $1.5 billion budgeting error tied to miscalculated natural gas royalties.

The premier's gains come as the opposition Conservative Party, led by Kerry-Lynne Findlay, faces internal turmoil. Barely three months into her role, Findlay has seen a mass exodus of MLAs from the caucus, leaving the party fractured as an alternative government option. Across the country, Ontario's Doug Ford also saw a similar 10-point approval bump to 31 per cent, suggesting trade rhetoric may be providing both leaders a temporary political lift.