ANALYSIS: How the Scarborough Southwest byelection will reshape Queen’s Park — and Ottawa

Who would have thought that one of the most delicious political dramas of the past many years would be happening in the southwest of Scarborough?

So many byelections are ho-hum stories; we know who’s going to win the second the seat opens up. But the riding of Scarborough Southwest is different. It’s got so many overlapping plot twists, including betrayal, ambition, surreptitious poaching, two levels of government, and a dynamic but controversial MP who inspires both affection and distrust.

Scarborough Southwest, by that name, has existed only since 1999. Much of the area was reliably New Democratic between 1963 and 1995 when “Scarborough West” was held by former NDP leader Stephen Lewis for 16 years, high-profile Richard Johnston for more than a decade, and, finally, cabinet minister Anne Swarbrick during the NDP’s lone foray in government from 1990 to 1995.

The Progressive Conservatives took the new riding in its inaugural election. The Liberals then won four consecutive elections (2003 to 2018) before the NDP had a three-peat of their own (2018 to 2026). It’s an interesting riding to watch because it’s unpredictable. Yes, it seems to vote in waves, but you can’t […] This is an excerpt. To read the full article, visit tvo.org.