VICTORIA — John Rustad has resigned as leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., saying he quit to avert a “civil war” in the Opposition ranks.

His departure came one day after he refused to resign in the face of a caucus revolt in which 20 MLAs representing a caucus majority said they had lost confidence in his leadership and wanted him out.

Rustad told reporters on Thursday that his “core people” and his wife had encouraged him to keep fighting but he said to do so “would be the creation of a civil war within the Conservative Party of British Columbia, and that is not in the interest of this party.”

He said that there were opportunities to fight the attempts to force him out, but “civil war means that you’re signing up people on one side versus signing up people on the other side.”

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