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@ReekBlefs
Yeah exactly, it's the same old hard left vs soft left argument that we've been having since the days of Tony Benn and the Tribune Group, isn't it.
The hard left argument goes 'principle is everything and if you compromise on your principles then you might as well have not done anything at all, because you lose your moral authority'. The soft left argument goes 'impact is everything, and if we need to compromise to gain power and improve lives, then we have a moral imperative to do so'. The actual politics of both groups might be identical, it's just the relative weight they give to principle vs impact.
The reason it's such a toxic debate is each position is a value-based position. People feel personally attacked when someone attacks their values. It's almost impossible to talk about without pissing someone off.
I used to be all about moral purity, but after eleven years of the Tories, I'm much more pragmatic. One of the things I do find inspiring is McDonnell's journey to the soft left. I just want the Tories out, and experience tells me that the soft left position is more likely to do that. McDonnell clearly came to the same conclusion, and if he can do it, so can others.