UK Politics

I'm sorry to be blunt, but most of what you've written here just isn't true. Labour are entirely committed to greater spending on rail and environmental policies, and that's exactly what Labour politicians are doing, right now, in Wales, London and Manchester (and everywhere else they're in power).

What they're not committed to is doing so through the kind of borrowing that will cause interest rates to surge and lead to people defaulting on their mortgages. This isn't hypothetical: it's what happened when Liz Truss committed to over-borrowing with no clear end in sight. If that means Labour spend 'only' £20 billion a year on green policies, will that make much of a difference compared with £28 billion? I think not - certainly not compared to the difference that would be made by causing mass loan defaults!

The last Labour government enormously improved the NHS. We had dozens of new hospitals, we had well-trained staff, we had the lowest waiting lists in history. To say, as you have, that Blair's policies 'proved detrimental' isn't true. It was the Andrew Lansley reforms under David Cameron that wrecked it, and the consistent underspending has kept it in a poor state (and, of course, Covid played a role, which can't really be helped).

Regarding the unions, I'm afraid you are being distracted by the window dressing. Does an MP on a picket line help a union win a dispute? No: it's all for show. The actual policies, to have collective bargaining across every sector, empower unions to negotiate fair pay deals, ensure reps get facility time, introduce secure electronic ballotting, etc., etc.: that's what will make the difference. It is not 'a fact' that there are Tories more leftwing than Labour on any of these policies (or, indeed, on any policy whatsoever).

All this other stuff about ties and whatever is just empty rhetoric. People have been saying this about Labour for a century, but every time Labour get into power we make the country better. Now, that is a fact. You keep talking about how bad the NHS is now, and you're right to. But what you're implictly comparing it with is the NHS under Labour - when it was good!

If the country votes Labour at the next election, which is in no way guaranteed, we'll get green investment, green planning reform and stronger worker protections. Those are all worth fighting for.

EDIT: Sorry, lastly, as to your point about doing what's right: would it be 'right' to lose the election on a 'moral' platform and thus achieve nothing for anyone? It is morally right for politicians to compromise and negotiate. That is actually the thing we want from them; it's the whole point of a parliamentary system in a democracy.

Also, Political Compass is a bit rubbish. Sorry. It's a fun game, but it's not something on which we should base our actual actions.