NDP launch 2025 campaign review before triggering leadership race

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is joined by NDP MP Don Davies, right, and Canadian Labour Congress's Siobhan Vipond, as he speaks at a news conference in the Foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

Ten weeks after a disastrous election outcome that saw the federal New Democrats lose most of their seats, the party is launching a “review and renewal process” before triggering its next leadership race.

The post-defeat soul searching is slated to last all summer long, with consultations stretching into the fall, aimed at reflecting on the 2025 campaign to “help shape a path forward for the party to continue delivering real relief for Canadians.”

Former NDP candidate and Ottawa lawyer Emilie Taman has been appointed to facilitate this process.

“Our party has both an opportunity and a responsibility to reflect on its work — to critically assess the 2025 election campaign so we can build on what was successful and better understand what wasn’t, with the goal of coming back stronger and better for the next campaign,” Taman said in a statement.

According to the party, Taman will orchestrate “guided discussions” with riding associations and campaign teams, as well as “listening sessions” with former candidates and the party’s equity and executive bodies.

There will also be a series of “one-on-one meetings” with current and past MPs, stakeholders, and key campaign staff that inform this review.

The party is inviting members to share their feedback by email, or through an online survey, before Sept. 19. That input will inform a written report the NDP promises to share with New Democrats before the end of 2025.

“This is a unique moment in our party’s history,” Taman said. “I look forward to hearing from everyone who cares deeply about the future of the NDP.”

No timeline for new leader

After repeatedly asserting national polling wasn’t fully capturing the party’s regional support, and downplaying concerns about an NDP collapse while on the campaign trail, Jagmeet Singh announced his resignation on election night.

In the aftermath of Singh losing his seat and the NDP losing official party status, several top campaign officials, including national campaign lead Jennifer Howard, have stepped down.

Interim leader Don Davies — one of seven NDP MPs re-elected to the House of Commons — has since focused his rebuilding efforts on reconnecting with working people.

With this review now set to play out for months, the timing for a leadership race to name Singh’s permanent successor remains up in the air.

Last week, NDP spokesperson Nina Amrov said those rules will be made public once they’re set but wouldn’t commit to a timeline.

“We look forward to a dynamic race with an exchange of ideas between candidates and party members about the NDP’s path forward,” she said in an email.