An emotional Singh steps down with NDP set to lose party status

Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), faced a tough evening as he struggled to keep his emotions in check while delivering the disappointing news at his campaign headquarters in Burnaby, B.C. The preliminary results showed that Singh was poised to finish third in his own riding and that his party was on track to lose more than two-thirds of its seats, resulting in them losing official party status in the House of Commons.

As Singh took the stage, flanked by his wife Gurkiran Kaur, he expressed his gratitude to his team, party volunteers, and supporters before announcing that he would be stepping down as soon as an interim leader could be appointed. It was a bitter pill to swallow for Singh, who had first won his seat in Burnaby South in a byelection in 2019 and had been re-elected twice before the riding was redistributed to Burnaby Central.

The election results painted a grim picture for the NDP, with the party projected to lose the majority of its seats across the country. In Quebec, Alexandre Boulerice was the only NDP member projected to hold onto his seat, while the party failed to win any ridings in Atlantic Canada. In Ontario, the NDP was set to lose all five of its seats, including longtime MP Brian Masse in Windsor West.

Moving west, the party managed to win only one of the three seats it held in Manitoba, with Leah Gazan returning to represent Winnipeg Centre. There was a glimmer of hope in Nunavut, where Lori Idlout was leading, but other strong NDP incumbents like Niki Ashton and Leila Dance were on track to lose their seats to the Liberals and Conservatives, respectively.

In B.C., where the NDP had its largest cohort of MPs, the party was only leading in three ridings, including Vancouver East where Jenny Kwan was projected to keep her seat. Singh expressed his disappointment in his concession speech, acknowledging the hard work of his candidates and the communities they sought to represent.

Despite the NDP’s struggles throughout the election race, Singh had started with a bold pitch to Canadians, vying to become the next prime minister. However, as the campaign progressed, it became evident that the party was facing challenges, with voters looking towards other options to take on the current political landscape.

Singh’s decision to tear up the supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberal government in early September also drew criticism and negative attention from the Conservatives. Despite the setbacks, Singh remained optimistic, asking voters to give the NDP enough seats in Parliament to keep the government in check and push for progressive policy initiatives.

As Singh announced his decision to step down as NDP leader, he reflected on the challenges he had faced throughout his life and the joy he found in the struggle. Despite the disappointing outcome of the election, Singh remained grateful for the opportunity to lead the party and vowed to continue supporting the opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump as a member of “Team Canada.”