Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

TikTok star Jagmeet Singh courts youth vote in Canada election

TikTok star Jagmeet Singh courts youth vote in Canada election

As soon as his news conference ends, Jagmeet Singh pulls out his phone, gathers the crowd for an Instagram video and leads them in song, jumping and spinning in place while filming.

As he campaigns ahead of next week's snap elections, Singh, the 42-year-old leader of Canada's leftist New Democratic Party (NDP), is looking to embody a new way of doing politics. And by relying heavily on social media he hopes to woo young voters who once helped propel prime minister Justin Trudeau into office.


A few hours later, he appears dancing to rap music on TikTok, where his videos typically get in excess of one million views.

"People, where are they? They are on social media. I try to use all possible tools to connect with them," says Singh.

Further to the left on the political spectrum than Trudeau's Liberals, his party could find itself holding significant sway in the House of Commons if voters return another minority Liberal government to Ottawa.

Currently, the New Democrats are credited with 20 percent of voting intentions, while Trudeau's Liberals and the Conservatives, led by rookie leader Erin O'Toole, are neck and neck with less than 35 percent support each -- below the threshold for a majority of seats in parliament.

- 'Winds of change' -

"Singh embodies, with his presence on social media, the youthfulness and winds of change that helped Trudeau a few years ago, and what sets him apart from the others is his use of TikTok," Felix Mathieu, a politics professor at the University of Winnipeg, told AFP.

On the policy front, his party's plank also echoes that of the Liberals in many respects, but whereas Trudeau, according to Singh, is "a big talker and a little doer," especially in respect to climate change, he promises to deliver.

He has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, increase taxes on the rich, cancel student debts and check soaring housing prices.

"I am not Justin Trudeau. I'm not like him. I've lived a different life," Singh said during a visit to an indigenous community in Saskatchewan reeling from past federal policies that stripped them of their language and culture.

"And I've felt some of the pain, what it's like to be considered less than (because of the way you look). I understand the pain of not being valued."

Born in Ontario to parents who fled persecution in their native India, Singh became the first non-white leader of a Canadian federal political party and is easily recognizable by his brightly coloured turbans.

"This helps him to stand out while waging an election with a smaller war chest than the Liberals, for example," Mathieu said. "But will this result in more votes, it's not clear,"

On TikTok, "a large part of his followers are not yet old enough to vote," Mathieu added.

And on September 20, unlike in past ballots, "there will be no voting on college campuses due to the pandemic and this is bad for the NDP," said Genevieve Tellier, a politics professor at the University of Ottawa.

His campaign on social media "has led millions of people to watch our content and get involved," says the NDP campaign's Emily Coutts.

That has boosted his support among eligible voters, but also attracted an army of volunteers who've gone out to campaign for him, she said.

More For You

scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sanger-Tribute

Indian high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami speaking at the memorial.

Bhavan London pays tribute to Joginder Sanger

BHAVAN LONDON held a tribute event on 27 March to honour Joginder Sanger, a British Indian hotelier and philanthropist who passed away at 82 on 28 February.

Sanger, born in Jalandhar, India, established several London hotels, including the Washington Mayfair Hotel, Courthouse Hotels in Soho and Shoreditch, and the Bentley in Kensington.

Keep ReadingShow less
Imran-Khan-Getty

Imran Khan, founder of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been in jail since August 2023. (Photo: Getty)

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

FORMER Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on human rights and democracy.

The nomination was announced by members of the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA), an advocacy group formed in December, who are also part of the Norwegian political party Partiet Sentrum.

Keep ReadingShow less