Jagmeet Singh is stepping down as NDP Leader after losing his seat in his own B.C. riding in a crushing defeat during the federal election.
Canadians were shocked to see the leader secure a third place finish in his riding of Burnaby-Central, losing his seat to Liberal candidate Wade Chang, and falling behind Conservative candidate James Yan.
The rest of Singh’s party also felt the devastating loss. Going into the election, the party held 24 seats, but has officially lost its party status after failing to secure the minimum 12 seats needed.
An emotional Singh spoke to supporters in his riding after his loss, where he congratulated his opponents on their campaign, and thanked the people of Burnaby for their years-long support.
“It’s been the honour of my life to represent the people of Burnaby-Central,” he said.
Singh went on to thank his party for their campaign while also acknowledging the disappointing outcome.
“We may lose sometimes, and those losses hurt, but we’re only defeated if we stop fighting… I’ve met New Democrats from coast to coast to coast who will never back down,” he said.
Singh took various pauses throughout his speech as he choked up while addressing Canadians after his final federal election, and teared up as he prepared to pass the torch.
“I’ll be stepping down as party leader, as soon as an interim leader can be appointed,” he said.
Canadians took to social media with mixed reactions following his resignation , with many thanking him for his eight years as leader.
“We appreciate what you have done for all Canadians! Thank you for your service!” An X user said.
“He delivered on dental care promises without even forming a government. I thank him for his service. A real shame that Canada will never see what he could have done if given a chance to lead the nation,” a Bluesky user said.
“History will be very kind to Singh, and he’ll be remembered as one of the most effective NDP leaders,” another user said.
However, some Canadians felt it was time for Singh to make the move.
“Will always appreciate him getting dental for Canadians, but you can only lose so many elections before it’s time to move on,” a Reddit user said.
“I do not hate Jagmeet in the slightest and I have voted for him twice before, but it was his time to retire,” a Reddit user said.
As Singh prepares to take a step away from federal politics, it appears Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will continue to lead the party despite failing to win a seat in Ottawa’s Carleton riding, where Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy won.
The 45th federal election saw the Liberals win a minority government, according to preliminary results, after leading in the polls for weeks but failing to secure the needed 343 seats for a majority.
