Political parties in the province of British Columbia have a long and complex history. The origins of political parties in British Columbia can be traced back to the 1860s, when the province was still a colony. At the time, there were two main political factions: the pro-Confederation party, which supported British Columbia joining the newly formed Dominion of Canada, and the anti-Confederation party, which opposed joining Canada.

After British Columbia joined Canada in 1871, political parties continued to develop and evolve. The first political party to form in British Columbia was the Conservative Party, which was established in 1871. The Liberal Party was formed soon after, in 1887, but political paryies did not run as organized options in elections until the early 20th century.

Over the years, other political parties have emerged in British Columbia, including the Social Credit Party, which governed the province for over 20 years from the 1950s to the 1970s, and the New Democratic Party (NDP), which has also formed several provincial governments.

Today, there are several political parties active in British Columbia, including the BC Liberal Party, the BC NDP, the BC Green Party, and the BC Conservative Party. The BC Liberal Party and BC NDP remain the two dominant parties, with the BC Liberals generally seen as center-right and the BC NDP generally seen as center-left.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in alternative political movements in British Columbia, such as the BC Green Party, which advocates for environmental sustainability and social justice, and the BC Conservative Party, which promotes small government and free-market policies. These parties have not yet been able to break the stranglehold of the BC Liberals and BC NDP, however, and the province remains largely a two-party system.