You won’t get me to defend Labour. But I’m a realist and I still see potential for a good future. Your defeatism will almost certainly not get us anywhere but whatever hellhole we are headed to.
We see voting differently. I see voting as the beginning of a journey. It’s a very good entry point for people to understand the power balance within a society. It’s in a way why we teach mathematics in school. Not because we expect everyone to be a mathematician or to contribute to a change in mathematics. Though collectively it most certainly has had a very positive effective. See just how monstrously fast our technology has advanced since we started mass education.
A lot of people will just vote and be done. But what if 1% become deeply interested? What if they go on to get others interested? What percentage of the population do our ministers represent?
Honestly, since you brought your experience into this I’ll just say that for your age I’d hope for more wisdom. But this is no surprise.