Dining Over the Divide: An Meeting Among Different Viewpoints
Meeting the Individuals
First Diner: P., 34, from London
Profession Ex- government employee, currently a learner focusing on community health
Voting record Supported Green recently (also a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour. Describes himself as “left, and internationalist rather than patriotic”
Interesting fact A sketch of a tea cup he did as a child was once hung in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Diner: Akshat, 43, from Harrow
Profession Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Political history Originally from the Indian subcontinent, he has resided in the United Kingdom for five years, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “somewhat right of centre”
Amuse bouche He self-learned to read and write the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I was just fascinated”
For starters
The first participant During the past two decades, I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East, South Korea, the United States. The topics we talked about are focused on Britain, but they are also global, because people's lives largely follows the same curve wherever it is. I was expecting someone very liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a productive, logical conversation. I drank beer, he opted for mojitos.
Peter We split appetizers – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were excellent. I felt somewhat anxious, as I believe Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. I grew up in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our affection for the capital.
Key disagreements
Akshat I look at migration similar to adding salt to a dish. When you add a little bit, the dish is delicious. Use too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
The second participant He had a metaphor regarding seasoning. It would be odd to be if the state was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the nation.
Akshat There are, sadly, people fleeing persecution, but a lot of people arriving in the UK are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can burden the benefit system. Nobody forces you to go to a new country for opportunity, so you ought to relocate if you are able to support yourself and your relatives.
The second participant We became confused with some of the facts. In my view it is the case that you arrive and work and then after five years you get indefinite leave to remain. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, application costs are really high, there is an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And concerning the recent changes, under which you can’t bring your family over, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we reject you as a person. I think we have to have a degree of humanity.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unregulated markets. I am, too, but at the same time, wealth creation helps communities and should be encouraged.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we concurred that certain elements of society – politics, the press – benefit from stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
For afters
Akshat Peter is of the opinion that because the United Kingdom benefitted from colonial times, it ought to provide reparations to affected nations. I simply think: it is unfair to assess history with contemporary ethics; eras vary, modern people 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 significant sum of funds. Is the UK in a position to manage that? Certainly not.
Peter Until recently, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. For example, when I first moved to the UK, people weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the role that imperial rule played in it. My view is decolonization is not merely about signing a cheque, it should be about examining past errors and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
The first participant It won’t change the way I think, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I converse with individuals every day whose views are contrary to mine. It’s about uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can work towards the improvement of society.
The second participant We remained for two and a half hours. Akshat had dessert and I had some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we both enjoyed dinner, so we might become more receptive to engaging in dialogues with other people in future.
