King of Kensington
Senior Member
I agree that the 2014 NDP platform was very unfriendly towards Toronto. Hell, they lost huge high profile MPs like Michael Prue and Rosario Marchese. With that being said, I don't think that Horwath's folksy populism in 2014 was necessarily misplaced. The party saw an opening in the SW Ontario rust belt and inner-suburbs of York and Scarborough. In York West, a Dipper dead zone that includes Jane and Finch, the NDP candidate came within 1000 votes of winning. People forget that in 2014 the NDP's popular vote across the province actually went up. A disappointing result? Sure. But far from the wipe-out that hit Mulcair a year later.
I think in 2018 the Ontario NDP should retain the populist narrative, but with more leftist policy planks like keeping hydro public and making childcare more affordable. More Bernie, less RoFo.
The NDP vote increased in York West, they lost ground in Scarborough and also York South-Weston. Incidentally Paul Ferreira has broken with the party over its road toll stance. Overall the NDP was down in outer Toronto too.
But not really in disagreement. Indeed, Sanders was able to unite urban progressives and working class voters, said you don't have to be anti-tax, anti-environment etc. in order to win working class voters.
Incidentally Parkdale-High Park and Danforth ridings are pretty much exactly the type of urban areas where Sanders did well in.