Jagmeet Singh

Jagmeet Singh is the Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. His selection as the eighth leader of the NDP on October 1, 2017 made him the first racialized leader of a political party in Canada and garnered international media coverage. His campaign of “Love and Courage” went viral and inspired 47,000 new members to join the NDP.

In 2011, Singh was elected to the Ontario legislature, becoming the first elected New Democrat in the Peel Region as well as the first turban-wearing MPP. Singh was appointed as the NDP critic for the Attorney General of Ontario and for the Consumer Services and served as his party's Deputy Leader from 2015 until 2017.

Singh was born in Scarborough, Ontario, to Harmeet Kaur and Jagtaran Singh, immigrant parents from the Indian state of Punjab. He grew up in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Windsor, Ontario.

Fluent in English, French, and Punjabi, Singh worked as a criminal defence lawyer in the Greater Toronto Area before entering politics, first at the law firm Pinkofskys, then at his own practice, Singh Law, which he established with his brother Gurratan Singh. During his time as a lawyer he offered free legal rights seminars across Ontario and provided pro bono legal counsel for people and community organizations in need.

Jagmeet Singh launched his campaign for Prime Minister arguing that "it takes an act of love to realize we are all in this together and an act of courage to demand better, dream bigger and fight for a more just and inclusive world."