Jagmeet Singh’s Leadership Leaves NDP in Ruins After Historic Collapse

The federal NDP has been left in political ruins after a crushing election loss that saw the party reduced to just seven seats across the country, marking one of the worst performances in its history. Jagmeet Singh, who led the party for nearly a decade, resigned in disgrace Monday night after not only losing the national campaign—but also his own Burnaby Central riding.

What was once a powerful voice for Canada’s working class has been hollowed out under Singh’s watch. In British Columbia, a province that helped build the NDP’s national reputation, the party collapsed from holding 13 seats to just three. Across rural areas and longtime NDP ridings, voters turned away in droves, rejecting what many saw as a platform disconnected from their priorities.

Singh’s campaign leaned heavily into issues of international politics, climate rhetoric, and identity politics, while ignoring everyday concerns like food inflation, housing costs, and job security. Party strategist Jeff Ferrier said the NDP under Singh had “forgotten its whole reason for being” and lost sight of its working-class roots. “It was farmers and workers who built this party. Instead, the message became about criminalizing oil and gas ads and banning hockey rinks,” he said.

The results were catastrophic. Singh finished third in his own riding, and his loss marked the first time in decades that a federal NDP leader failed to secure a seat. Only three NDP MPs survived in British Columbia: Jenny Kwan in Vancouver East, Don Davies in Vancouver Kingsway, and Gord Johns in Courtenay-Alberni. All other island and mainland ridings turned red or blue.

Veteran New Democrats including former premiers Mike Harcourt and Glen Clark say the party now faces a moment of reckoning. Harcourt pointed to the success of provincial NDP governments in B.C. and Manitoba as models the federal party must relearn from. Clark invoked a quote once used by party legend Grace MacInnis: “I am hurt but I am not slain. I will lay me down and bleed awhile, then rise up to fight again.”

Whether the party can recover remains an open question. It will need to rebuild from the ground up, reconnect with working Canadians, and shed the activist-heavy branding that alienated much of its traditional base. There are calls for new leadership from across the country, with some suggesting names like former Alberta premier Rachel Notley or Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

As the dust settles, the legacy of Jagmeet Singh’s leadership is becoming clear. Once seen as a charismatic bridge between generations, he now leaves behind a fractured party, a lost base, and an urgent need for reinvention.