OTTAWA | Rejected by his MPs after his electoral defeat by Justin Trudeau, former Canadian Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole is set to leave politics in June.

He made the announcement Friday during a speech at his Durham, Ontario horse farm.

“I am a proud Conservative and have had the unique privilege of leading our party through a difficult time for our country,” he said.

Erin O’Toole took over the leadership of the Conservative Party in the midst of a pandemic in August 2020 and was ousted from his caucus in a vote of confidence that took place amid the anti-government protests and health measures “Convoy Freedom”, in February 2022.

Mr O’Toole had presented himself as an uncompromising Conservative in the election campaign for leadership and then softened his positions, particularly on firearms and the carbon tax.

This attempt at rebalancing, which failed to produce the expected results in the autumn 2021 election, was badly received by many Conservative MPs and activists.

Following his loss to Justin Trudeau, Mr. O’Toole found himself increasingly isolated within his faction. In a confidence vote, 73 of his MPs voted in favor of his sacking, versus 45 who voted in favor of him again.

He resigned as chairman on February 2, 2022.

Pierre Poilievre replaced him with a landslide victory in a third lead race following Stephen Harper’s departure in 2015.

Ontario Conservative MP John O’Toole’s son was first elected in the 2012 general election. Before entering politics, he had a career in the Canadian Armed Forces before turning to business law.