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Jagmeet Singh has announced plans to resign as NDP leader after being unseated in his own riding of Burnaby Central.
“It’s been the honour of my life to represent the people of Burnaby Central. Tonight they chose a new member of parliament, and tonight I wish them well as they continue to work hard for this community,” Singh said.
“Obviously I know this is a disappointing night for New Democrats. We had really good candidates who lost tonight. I know how hard you worked. I spent time with you, you are amazing.”
Singh said he had informed the party that he would step down once an interim leader had been selected.
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The loss caps a tough night for the New Democrats, who saw their support collapse across the country as voters split between the Liberals and Conservatives in the wake of Justin Trudeau’s resignation and threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Singh campaigned heavily on policy wins that the New Democrats extracted from Trudeau’s minority government.
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In 2022, Singh signed a confidence and supply agreement that saw the Liberals pledge to implement pharmacare and dental care for low-income Canadians, programs that have since come online.
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Last September, Singh announced the agreement was over, citing what he said was insufficient Liberal progress on healthcare and affordability measures, but ultimately did not act to bring the government down.
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Singh was first elected to parliament in a 2019 byelection in the former Burnaby South riding. In the 2021 election, he was re-elected with more than 40 per cent of the votes, compared to just over 30 per cent for the Liberal runner-up.
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The riding was redrawn and renamed Burnaby Central for the 2025 election, with changes that made the district slightly less favourable to the New Democrats.
