Dining Across the Divide: An Meeting Between Opposing Viewpoints
Meeting the Individuals
One Diner: Peter, 34, London
Occupation Ex- civil servant, now a student focusing on community health
Voting record Supported the Green Party recently (and a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour. Identifies as “progressive, and globalist instead of patriotic”
Interesting fact A drawing of a tea cup he created as a kid was once displayed in the Irish National Gallery
Other Participant: Akshat, 43, Harrow
Profession Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Political history Hailing from India, he has lived in the UK for five years, and voted Conservative. Describes himself as “slightly right of centre”
Interesting fact He self-learned to read and write the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”
For starters
The first participant During the past two decades, I have resided and been employed in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The issues Peter and I talked about are UK-centric, but they are also global, because people's lives largely follows the same curve wherever it is. I anticipated someone very liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, he opted for mojitos.
Peter We split appetizers – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were excellent. I felt somewhat anxious, as I think Akshat was. Would he criticize me for my sensitivity? We each have immigrant backgrounds. I grew up in Dublin; I have resided in the United States and Spain. We connected through our affection for the capital.
Key disagreements
The first participant I look at migration similar to adding salt to a dish. With a small amount, the dish is delicious. Add too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
The second participant He had a metaphor about seasoning. It would be a funny place to exist if the state was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.
The first participant There are, sadly, people fleeing persecution, but many migrants coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can weigh on the benefit system. No one compels you to move to a different nation for prospects, so you ought to relocate if you are able to support your own needs and your relatives.
Peter We got lost with certain details. In my view it is the case that you come over and are employed and then after five years you get permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. The climate has been unwelcoming since Theresa May, visa fees are quite expensive, there is an healthcare levy, access to benefits is limited. There is no special treatment for anybody. And concerning the new policies, whereby family reunification is restricted, it’s incredible to say: we desire your labor, but we don’t want you. I think we have to have a degree of compassion.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter questions unchecked capitalism. I am, too, but simultaneously, economic growth helps communities and should be encouraged.
Peter We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that some parts of society – politics, the press – benefit from stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
For afters
The first participant Peter believes that because the United Kingdom benefitted from the colonial era, it should pay reparations to those countries. I simply think: it is unfair to assess history with contemporary ethics; eras vary, current society had no control of what happened 50 or 100 years ago. Let’s say the Britain was obliged to repay India, it would be a huge amount of money. Is the UK in a position to do that? No.
The second participant Until recently, I don’t think adequate reflection occurred with colonial history. For example, when I first moved to the UK, people had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the role that imperial rule contributed to it. My view is decolonisation is not merely about issuing payments, it should be about examining what went wrong and our current responsibilities.
Final thoughts
Akshat It may not alter the way I think, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I talk to people every day whose views are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the same page, in order that everyone can work towards the improvement of the community.
The second participant We were there for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with other people in the coming times.
