BREAKING: Liberal Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil to step down

The announcement came on Thursday following a cabinet meeting with the Liberal Party, and he will stay on until a new leader is chosen.

McNeil has been the leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party since 2007.

"Today, I am announcing I will be stepping down and leaving public office. I have informed the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia to plan for a leadership campaign, which I expect will take months. I will stay on and continue to govern and will be here to work with Public Health to keep Nova Scotians safe until the next leader is chosen," McNeil said in a statement posted on his social media.

"I am grateful to my team of elected colleagues. My caucus has shown so much courage. We’ve made some tough decisions and we stuck together because we believed we were doing the right thing for the future of this province."

"I want to thank Nova Scotians for giving me the opportunity to be your Premier. We have accomplished so much together. I may not have always gotten it right... But here’s what I know for sure: we are better together and being kind matters," the post concludes.