A Dalhousie University political scientist says the federal NDP is fighting for its political life and current polling numbers suggest leader Jagmeet Singh’s political future is in jeopardy.
Lori Turnbull says the repeated threats made against Canada’s economy and sovereignty by U.S. President Donald Trump has galvanized voters, to the detriment of the NDP.
Lori Turnbull (Submitted)
“They’re below 10 per cent now” says Turnbull, “typically for the federal NDP over the last number of elections, they’re sitting at 18 or 19 per cent of the popular vote.” She says parties like the NDP don’t usually fare well in a first-past-the-post system. “And to see a number like 9 per cent, oh boy…this election is going to be really hard for those smaller parties.”
Poilievre’s future also in question if he fails to deliver a win
But, Turnbull says, Pierre Poilievre’s political future is also at stake if he can’t pull off a Conservative win this time around.
She believes the party is already “laying the groundwork to give him the heave-ho if he loses.” She says the Conservatives have a history of dropping the leader if they lose. “We saw it with Andrew Scheer, we saw it with Erin O’Toole…but he (Poilievre) was picked to win, and if he doesn’t, I see him going.”
