Alan Webster Neill

Alan Webster Neill, a Progressive MP from Comox—Alberni in British Columbia, left the Progressive Party around 1925 to sit as an Independent. Neill was a committed advocate for his riding's resource-based economy and for Indigenous peoples — he was one of the few MPs of any party to consistently raise Indigenous issues in Parliament. He found the Progressive movement's focus on western grain farmers irrelevant to British Columbia's coastal logging and fishing communities and opted for independence.

Neill served as an Independent MP for Comox—Alberni from 1921 to 1945 — an extraordinary 24-year run as an Independent, one of the longest in Canadian history. He was consistently re-elected because of his intense focus on local issues and his reputation for personal integrity. His career demonstrated that in rural ridings with strong community ties, a respected Independent could survive without party support.