Jagmeet Singh is stepping down as NDP party leader after failing to hold onto his seat in the federal riding of Burnaby Central in B.C.
As of 9:30 p.m. local time, Singh was trailing in third place, behind leading Liberal candidate Wade Chang and falling behind Conservative candidate James Yan.
“I want to congratulate all the other leaders on a hard-fought campaign. It’s been the honour of my life to represent the people of Burnaby Central,” he said. “Tonight, they chose a new member of parliament, and I wish them well as they work hard for this community.”
Singh called Monday’s election a “disappointing” night for the New Democrats.
“We had really good candidates that lost tonight. I know how hard you worked. I spent time with you. You’re amazing. I’m so sorry you’re not gonna be able to represent your community. I know you’re gonna continue to fight for them. I know on how many doors you knocked, how many family dinners you missed, how many nights your kids went to bed without you there to talk them in,” he said.
“Choosing to commit your life to politics obviously comes with some sacrifice, but we choose this life because of the chance to change the country we love for the better. We may lose sometimes, and those losses hurt. It’s tough, but we’re only defeated if we stop fighting. We’re only defeated when we believe that those that tell us that we can never dream of a better Canada, a fairer Canada, a more compassionate Canada.
“I have met New Democrats from coast to coast to coast, who will never back down, even when they’re told that there’s no room for them at the table.”
Behind tears, Singh explained that it was almost eight years ago that he was elected as NDP party leader. He said that he has worked hard to live up to the legacy of the NDP.
“I will be stepping down as party leader as soon as an interim leader can be appointed,” he explained.
“I could not have done this incredible job without the incredible support of my wife,” he said, becoming emotional in front of his party members at the NDP headquarters in Burnaby. “She has been my rock, foundation for the past couple of years. I’ve been regretting that I didn’t thank her on the night of the last election. So, this is my opportunity to make up for it.”
Aggregate polls prior to the election showed that Singh was at risk of losing his seat.
The new Burnaby Central riding came into effect for the 2025 election, replacing the former electoral district of Burnaby South. Burnaby South was itself a redistribution of two ridings — all formerly considered to be NDP strongholds, dating back 25 years.
The latest poll published by Research Co. on the day before the election showed support for the party down to 7 per cent nationally.
“The NDP is only holding on to 39 per cent of its voters from the 2021 election, with 37 per cent saying they intend to vote for the Liberals this time. The retention rate is superior for the Conservatives (89 per cent) and the Liberals (79 per cent),” said Research Co. on Sunday.
In recent weeks, the party moved away from suggesting it has any chance of success in the upcoming federal election and began focusing on a ‘strategic voting’ message.
In an interview with OMNI News last week, Singh said polls showing waning support for his party and a difficult race in his own riding aren’t reliable.
For example, polling for NDP support in Ontario, Singh said, wasn’t an accurate estimate of the province’s last election results.
“We were said to lose all support, and the leader was going to lose their seat, but the party was able to win Official Opposition status in Ontario just a couple months ago,” said Singh, referring to Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles’ achievement in February after polls showed her party far behind the Ontario Liberals.
During the final days of the federal campaign, Singh urged voters to support his party and avoid what he’s suggesting could be a Liberal “super-majority” in Parliament.
CityNews and 1130 NewsRadio are live this election day across Canada, including coverage from inside NDP headquarters in Burnaby Central. You can tune into the TV stream here and the radio stream here.
