Layton Says NDP Won't Tilt Right

Despite criticism that he's either gone too far right or hasn't gone right enough, NDP Jack Layton says his party is staying put.

At his party's 50th Anniversary Convention in Vancouver, NDP Leader Jack Layton said Friday his party does not have to move to the centre to gain power. Layton pointed out that what the NDP is already doing is clearly resonating with Canadians, as votes for the NDP increased from 2.5 million to 4.5 million in the last election. He also added that he didn't think most Canadians saw themselves occupying any point on the left-right compass. Nova Scotia NDP Premier Darrell Dexter believes, however, that Layton needs to shift more to the right if he wants to become prime minister. Then there are those diehard NDPers who believe Layton has already moved too far to the right and is sacrificing the principles upon which the NDP was established in 1961.