OneBC says former Conservative leader Findlay and husband Chapman were threatened

2:43 Kerry-Lynne Findlay steps down as BC Conservative leader

Political party OneBC says former Conservative legislator Brent Chapman and his wife, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, have been subjected to a “torrent of threats and abuse from insiders.”

Chapman announced last month that he was joining OneBC to run as a candidate in the Oct. 24 election after Findlay resigned as the Conservative party leader amid a caucus revolt.

But Chapman’s name wasn’t on the final list of candidates released Sunday by Elections BC, and OneBC says in a statement that the party and Chapman mutually decided that he wouldn’t run in the riding of Surrey South.

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The statement says OneBC was excited to have Chapman join the team but the “strains of the last few months have been enormous.”

Following weeks of division and defections, Findlay resigned as Conservative leader just days before NDP Leader David Eby called the snap election.

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Findlay’s resignation came less than four months after winning the party leadership, and OneBC’s statement says that “strong conservative values” are not acceptable to the appointed leaders of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

“Politics is important, but so is family and security,” it says. “That is why we are grateful for (Chapman’s) principled stance, but also in full support of his decision to step back at this time and wish him all the best.”

OneBC emerged as a splinter group from the B.C. Conservatives shortly after the party came close to winning the last provincial election.

OneBC’s interim leader, former Conservative legislator Dallas Brodie, is running to retain her riding, but the party lacked the two members required for official status when the election was called because Chapman hadn’t informed the Speaker or the clerk’s office in time.