Thing is, I do find a few socialist ideas around some essential industry appealing, but know that they have to fail for very simple reasons: inability of government, of any colour, to intervene strongly in union disputes where they involve, for example, things such as rail, power, water, medicine and public servant-based functions. Those people go on strike, and the country stops. That makes any government too liable to voter anger, regardless of where the causes and real responsibility might lie. Better some of those services remain in private hands if only to let the inevitable problems and blame belong to the private sector!
Because of that union power, I think socialism ironically finds its worst enemy within its own natural voter base.
Rob C