Independent Alberta legislature member says he isn’t joining Progressive Tory party

Alberta MLA Scott Sinclair, who was expelled from the UCP caucus last year, will not be joining the newly named Progressive Tory Party.

A former United Conservative member of Alberta’s legislature says he will remain an Independent MLA when the house reconvenes in February.

Scott Sinclair, who represents the Lesser Slave Lake riding north of Edmonton, was expelled from Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP caucus last spring after threatening to not support the budget.

In a letter posted to social media Thursday, Sinclair says he doesn’t want to join any political party.

“Remaining independent allows me to speak plainly, advocate freely, and work constructively with anyone, regardless of political stripe, when it benefits our region,” he wrote.

Sinclair also cited proposed electoral boundary changes, saying he will work to protect his riding to “ensure that northern representation is not diluted or erased.”

“We are all underdogs in the North, and I don’t regret standing up and speaking out for those who feel ignored and underserved,” he said.

Sinclair didn’t immediately respond to an interview request.

Under parliamentary convention, a budget vote is a confidence vote, meaning that if it fails in the legislature, it’s expected the government would trigger an election.

After being expelled from the UCP caucus early last year, Sinclair and another former UCP member, Peter Guthrie, had tried to start a rival party under the once-dominant Progressive Conservative brand in Alberta.

The UCP pushed back, saying the PC name, logo and history legally belong to it as a legacy party of the UCP.

Guthrie and Sinclair were hit with a lawsuit in November from the United Conservative Association, which argued the pair’s attempted rebranding harmed the UCP’s reputation and would confuse Albertans.

In December, Smith’s government passed legislation banning the use of certain words and phrases — including communist, conservative, democratic, green, independent, liberal, reform, republican and wildrose — in party names, arguing it would reduce confusion.

Guthrie soon announced he would lead a new Progressive Tory Party of Alberta.

In a Friday statement, Guthrie said the focus hasn’t shifted.

“It’s business as usual as we build a credible progressive conservative option for Albertans.”

Guthrie resigned as infrastructure minister last February, calling out the premier and the rest of cabinet for not sharing his concerns about government-wide procurement issues amid allegations of government corruption and interference in medical contracts.

He was later removed from UCP caucus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2026.

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press