New Democratic Party

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For those that seek a future that brings together the best of the insights and objectives of people who, within the social democratic and democratic socialist traditions, have worked through farmer, labour, co-operative, feminist, human rights and environmental movements, and with First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, to build a more just, equal, and sustainable Canada within a global community dedicated to the same goals.

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Jagmeet Singh abandoned the ‘online left’— and it's catching up to him and his party (www.nationalobserver.com)

submitted 2 months ago by streetfestival@lemmy.ca to c/ndp@lemmy.ca

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Today, the NDP sits in the shadow of the Liberal government, caught between criticizing those in power while also attempting to claim agency over bills being passed. Most peculiar of all has been Singh’s retreat from online spaces. In 2023, he deactivated his TikTok account citing privacy concerns, but the shift in the tone of his content went beyond that.

His once fresh, relatable, curtain-tearing content had been replaced by generic campaign videos of Singh reading scripts word-for-word that feel like they were copied directly from the platform section of the NDP website. It became boring, uninspired and — most importantly — ineffective. Polls now project a loss of seats for the NDP in the next election.

One thing is for certain: we are closer to a Singh exit than we are from his arrival. Come October, he will have been party leader for seven years — he will certainly not be leader in seven years. So, has his choice to abandon his online roots damaged the future of his party?

Whatever the future of the NDP holds and whoever its next leader will be, it is clear that it remains a party in desperate need of reimagination — the exact same issue that Singh was brought in to solve.

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[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There is such appetite in this country for proper left wing policies that it's entirely mind numbing why the NDP leadership is acting this way.

We have serious problems in areas where a left wing party could play amazing ball. And instead, we're letting Bitcoin Trump-lite monopolize the anger game, when we could be putting forward bold progressive policy ideas that are way beyond what the liberals could ever coopt.

[–] drewaustin@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 months ago

This right here. There is an appetite for a real party with actual progressive policies. But I guess we'll have to go with Liberal light.

[–] Sundial@lemm.ee 18 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It's pretty disappointing to see how people who are disappointed in the Liberals completely skip over the NDP. I feel they did a poor job of differentiating themselves from the liberals and lost the opportunity.

[–] drewaustin@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 months ago

With anti-democracy Lucy Watson being made national director, the party will be more and more like the Liberals from a policy standpoint. So I guess voting Liberal just skips the middle man?

If the party actually allowed itself to be ruled by its grassroots, then maybe things would be different, but it is fervently opposed to being accountable to its members - and largely even their own bylaws.

[–] Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I feel like this guy has been hiding under a desk, waiting for the election to pass. He's so ineffectual and has not been a factor this election at all. Haven't heard much out of him.

[–] Pilferjinx@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

His charisma game is very weak. NDP needs a leader who people can't ignore.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Does Bernie Sanders have charisma? Sometimes the unvarnished truth is all you need, especially to motivate progressives

[–] Pilferjinx@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I want to agree with you wholeheartedly but I think the vast majority of voters don't even know a candidate/party's platform and especially those policy's intended effects. Basically, it's a popularity contest on how the leadership is perceived. I wish it was different because the NDP has by far the best platform for most Canadians

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So we can't get the governance we need and deserve because we're too apathetic and disengaged from governance. The facts of the situation aren't enough to motivate voters so you want to (if stated uncharitably) trick them into doing what's good for them with someone who talks good. Maybe we just don't deserve good governance.

[–] drewaustin@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The party used to have a large and engaged progressive contingent involved in its governance. Most of those people have been driven away or have been banned as members. The NDP is not interested in good governance, they are interested in having a very small elite that controls every single thing about the part, the ridings, and its members and has ZERO tolerance for anyone who wants to do anything that isn't following the orders of the that elite.

So yeah, the NDP doesn't deserve good governance because that is not what the party wants.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago

There is a story behind this post.

[–] Mammothmothman@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 months ago

Champagne socialists

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I’m fine with his worker first policy since it’s the NDP

My problem is him abandoning the rail unions

Edit: He remedied this

[–] steever@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 months ago

The party needs a fresh start. We’re out of money, toeing this weird line between criticizing the government but also propping it up, and haven’t made ANY gains from crumbling liberal support. The legislative wins from the supply and confidence agreement don’t seems to be bearing any fruit. Everything feels stagnant, leadership change will hopefully give the party a chance to redefine itself and assert that it is the true left wing alternative to PP, and the liberals.

[–] SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 months ago

It's still encouraging to see that Canada has a Third Party