Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigns as leader of the BC Conservatives

Kerry-Lynne Findlay has resigned as leader of the BC Conservatives, announcing the decision on X at about 1:30 p.m. local time. She said it was not an easy decision, but the right one for British Columbia.

Findlay said she would not allow an internal battle over her leadership to remain a distraction from the work a strong opposition needs to do for British Columbians. In her resignation letter, she said she had hoped to travel the province and meet residents to make the case for a strong, united Conservative movement, but that internal conflict had consumed too much of the party’s time and attention from the outset. She said leadership requires accountability and that, with hindsight, she would make some decisions differently.

Her resignation came hours after Surrey-Serpentine River MLA Linda Hepner said she was leaving caucus. Hepner told Global News that the removal of John Rustad, Trevor Halford and Claire Rattee from caucus on Friday prompted her departure. She is the 13th MLA to leave the party voluntarily or be removed by its leadership, reducing the Conservative caucus to 25 members.

No snap election has been announced, though there are expectations Premier David Eby could call one as early as this week. Findlay said the party needs a reset and that she will remain its candidate in the upcoming Abbotsford-Mission byelection.

Several MLAs have left the party in recent months, citing Findlay’s leadership as a key reason. Peter Milobar, one of the first to leave, is now leader of CentreBC, which has eight MLAs and is the third-largest party in the legislature. CentreBC said it would be ready for an election if one were called.

Claire Rattee said Sunday that she intends to seek re-election under the BC Conservatives banner. Because she was removed from caucus, however, she would likely need to be formally invited back to run for the party. She said the leadership change gives Conservative MLAs an opportunity to unite and set a path forward.

Elections BC recently outlined potential advance-voting and election-day dates should an election be called in the coming weeks. If it is called by Tuesday, voting would take place Oct. 24; an election called between Sept. 23 and 29 would put election day on Halloween. The next scheduled provincial election is Oct. 21, 2028.