Between the 1956 and 1972 elections, the Tories won no seats to the Legislature, and slowly the party began to dwindle downward. Deane Flinlayson served as leader from 1952 until 1961, eventually handing the reigns to federal Member of Parliament Davie Fulton. Fulton led the party to a brief surge of relevance in the 1963 election, winning 11% support, but no seats, with even Fulton falling far behind his SoCred opponent in the Kamloops constituency. Fulton left soon after, returning to federal politics while the BC Tories collapsed into ruin.