Former premier John Horgan officially resigns seat in B.C. Legislature

Former premier John Horgan has officially resigned his Victoria-area seat in the British Columbia legislature.

The Office of the Speaker says in a social media post Horgan issued written notice he was formallystepping down Friday as the member for Langford-Juan de Fuca.

Horgan, who has twice battled cancer, said last month he was speeding up his retirement plans after announcing last June that health reasons were forcing him to end a 30-year political career.

That included five years as premier, eight years as New Democratic Party leader, five terms as MLA and a dozen years as a political staff employee.

In his farewell speech, Horgan told members of the house he was healthyand thanked all those who supported him during his bout with throat cancer.

The Office of the Speaker says Horgan's seat will remain vacant until a byelection is called.

The office says it has yet to receive an official resignation letter from former NDP cabinet minister Melanie Mark, who announced last month she was resigning as MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.