National Party (Rainier)

National Party
Poster for the 1894 election
Founded	28 November 1858
Dissolved	13 October 1933
Merged into	National Union Party
Ideology	Conservatism Protectionism Centralism Agrarianism
Political position	Centre-right
Official colours	Blue

The National Party was a Rainian conservative party that was one of the two major political parties in Rainier from 1858 to its merger with the Union Party into the National Union Party in 1933.

The National Party was founded in 1858 by the Premier of British Columbia Fydd Rochester under the name of the British Imperial Party and was strongly pro-British Empire, protectionist and anti-federalist. Rochester had been a key figure in the creation of Rainier and held power with Rochester the Prime Minister of Rainier until 1871 when the Union Party came to power. Although out of power for a prolonged period from 1871-1882 in the 1882 election the National's won triggering a 29 year period of National Party dominance in politics.

Rochester implemented the protectionist National Economic Policy and created the provinces of Alberta, Idaho, Cascadia and Saskatchewan all of which would become solidly pro-National. A one-nation conservative Rochester also oversaw some moderate social reforms. In 1899 Rochester died in office, and was succeeded by Malcolm Russell (1899-1903) Samuel Battestone (1903-1910) and Hywel Johnstone (1910-1912). In 1910 Battestone resigned from the government over the issue of free trade splitting the National Party by creating the Protectionist Party, which led to the Union party to win the 1912 election on a split National vote. The Protectionist Party effectively ended with Battestone's death in 1916.

The Nationals returned to government under Joseph Lear from 1921-1929 before losing the 1929 election to the liberal party. By the 1920's the Nationals had moved from their previous protectionist policies to endorsing a moderate form of free trade. In 1932 the general strike saw the National party leader Albert W. Moore strike an "understanding" with the Union Prime Minister Rhys Lawgoch. The 1933 election saw the Nationals become the largest party, but was far short of a majority. Rather than rule as a minority government the Nationals merged with the Union Party to form the National Union Party, which has since become the major centre-right party in Rainier.