Singh steps down as party leader, concedes election and his own seat

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This article was published 28/04/2025 (192 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BURNABY – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh conceded the election — and his own seat — early Tuesday morning, congratulating Prime Minister Mark Carney on his win in an emotional speech delivered to a few dozen supporters.

Stopping his speech a few times to compose himself, he thanked his caucus and party supporters for the work they’ve done to bring “real change to the lives of Canadians.”

“We did some incredible work together,” he said.

“Obviously I’m disappointed that we could not win more seats, but I’m not disappointed in our movement. I’m hopeful for our party. I know that we will always choose hope over fear, and optimism over despair, and unity over hate.”

He also told New Democrats in his home riding of Burnaby Central he would step down as party leader as soon as an interim one is appointed.

As he was speaking with supporters after conceding the election, Singh said he had to avoid making eye contact with certain people “because it’s going to get emotional up here.”

At least a dozen NDP MPs have lost their seats, and preliminary results show the party is unlikely to maintain official party status — which gives a party access to research funding, spots on House of Commons committees and more opportunities to ask questions during question period.

The party held 24 seats at dissolution and needs 12 for official party status, but was several seats shy of that at 3 a.m.

Singh also conceded defeat in his Burnaby Central riding, sitting in third behind Liberal Wade Chang, who was declared the winner, and the Conservative candidate.

Jenni Kwan is one of the small number of successful NDP incumbents, having held her Vancouver-East seat. She said she’s gone through a party rebuild once before with the B.C. NDP, and is confident it will be done again.

“Back at the provincial level, when I was there, we were reduced down to two seats, myself and Joy MacPhail, and what we knew, what we had to do is to reflect and learn the lessons, regain the trust of Canadians, of British Columbians, and to rebuild the party,” Kwan said. “And that’s what I’m going to be doing in the days and years ahead.”

When asked if she’s considering interim leadership or seeking the permanent job, Kwan said she is focused on rebuilding the party and representing her riding.

The last time the federal NDP lost official party status was in 1993, when it was reduced to nine seats.

Party spokesperson Anne McGrath said those days in the ’90s were “very tough” but she remains optimistic about the future.

“The big lesson I take from that is that we did rebuild after that. Even now, for instance, we still have a lot of strength across the country. We are either the government or the official Opposition in six provinces,” McGrath said.

“I’m sad … but I’m not defeated. You know, I was saying earlier, like when Tommy Douglas brought in public health care, medicare, he lost the next election. He used to quote Robert Burns. I remember that loss. And he said, ‘I will lay me down and bleed awhile and rise to fight again.'”

NDP officials said earlier in the day they were feeling good about get-out-the-vote efforts and reported internal polling suggesting late momentum gains in Ontario and B.C., where Singh spent many of the last days of the campaign.

Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie incumbent Alexandre Boulerice was the first NDP MP declared elected Monday. Heather McPherson in Edmonton—Strathcona and Jenni Kwan in Vancouver East have also been declared elected.

The NDP lost seats and saw incumbents go down to defeat in Windsor and London, Ont., northern Ontario, Winnipeg and northern Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

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Singh and the NDP spent the election campaign reminding voters of the role they played in introducing the dental care and pharmacare programs in the previous minority government.

But Singh’s support for Justin Trudeau’s government allowed Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to launch a pre-election offensive tying him to the unpopular prime minister.

The NDP found itself in a difficult spot in this campaign, caught between the Conservatives and a surging Liberal party in a two-party race dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and persistent voter anxiety about the cost of living.

— With files from Alessia Passafiume in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2025.