Labour’s new policies sound good on paper (more public rail, greener energy, free childcare and a bigger NHS) but they still rely on the state to squeeze extra money out of workers through higher taxes. In practice, that extra cash ends up funding the same system that keeps private owners in charge, so the everyday worker sees only modest improvements while the underlying power balance stays the same.

In short, Labour is offering a series of “nice‑to‑have” fixes that ease some pressures on ordinary people, but they don’t challenge the deeper structure that lets a wealthy few control the economy. If they truly want a fairer society, they’ll need to go beyond incremental reforms and push for real public ownership and democratic control of key industries, not just more spending from the same tax pot.