Dining Over the Divide: A Meeting Between Different Viewpoints

Meeting the Individuals

One Participant: Peter, 34, from London

Occupation Former government employee, now a learner focusing on public health

Political history Voted the Green Party last time (and a member of the party); formerly Labour. Describes himself as “progressive, and internationalist instead of patriotic”

Interesting fact A sketch of a tea cup he did as a child was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland

Second Participant: A., 43, from Harrow

Occupation Risk manager in the construction sector

Political history Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, he has lived in the UK for half a decade, and voted the Conservative Party. Identifies as “slightly right of centre”

Interesting fact Akshat self-learned to understand the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”

For starters

Akshat Over the last two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, South Korea, the United States. The topics we talked about are focused on Britain, but they are also universal, because human life largely follows the same curve across the world. I was expecting a staunch liberal, but he was quite measured – we engaged in a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, he opted for mojitos.

The second participant We split starters – seafood rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I believe Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and Spain. We bonded over our affection for the capital.

Key disagreements

The first participant I view migration like adding salt to a dish. With a small amount, the dish is delicious. Add too little or too much and the dish is insipid or overly seasoned.

The second participant Akshat used an analogy about seasoning. It would be odd to exist if the government was choosing some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.

The first participant There are, sadly, individuals escaping oppression, but a lot of migrants arriving in the United Kingdom are economic migrants who do not necessarily contribute much and can weigh on the benefit system. No one compels you to move to a different nation for prospects, so you should only go if you can take care of your own needs and your family.

Peter We got lost with certain details. In my view it’s like you come over and work and then after five years you obtain indefinite leave to remain. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment since Theresa May, visa fees are really high, you pay an NHS surcharge, eligibility for support is limited. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And regarding the recent changes, under which family reunification is restricted, it’s incredible to say: we desire your labor, but we don’t want you. I think we must maintain a certain level of humanity.

Sharing plate

The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unregulated markets. I am, too, but simultaneously, wealth creation benefits society and should be encouraged.

The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that certain elements of the community – government, the press – benefit from stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in fundamentals and values.

Dessert and debate

The first participant Peter believes that since the UK profited from the colonial era, it should pay compensation to affected nations. My view is simply: it is unfair to assess history with present day morality; times are different, modern people were not responsible of events decades or a century ago. Suppose the Britain was obliged to repay the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of money. Is Britain able to manage that? Certainly not.

The second participant Until recently, I believe there was much reckoning with the colonial past. As an instance, when I first moved to the United Kingdom, the public weren’t aware of the Great Famine and the part that imperial rule contributed to it. I hold that decolonisation isn’t just about signing a cheque, it should be about looking at what went wrong and where we should be now.

Final thoughts

Akshat It may not alter the way I think, but I appreciate his worries. I converse with individuals every day whose views are opposite to mine. It’s about bringing everyone to the common understanding, so that everyone can work towards the betterment of the community.

Peter We were there for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of anything, but we each liked dinner, so we could hopefully be more receptive to engaging in dialogues with others in future.