Dining Over the Gap: A Meeting Among Different Viewpoints

Meeting the Individuals

One Participant: P., 34, London

Profession Former government employee, now a student focusing on community health

Voting record Supported Green last time (also a member of the political group); previously Labour Party. Identifies as “left, and globalist instead of patriotic”

Interesting fact A sketch of a tea cup Peter did as a kid was once hung in the Irish National Gallery

Second Participant: Akshat, 43, from Harrow

Profession Risk analyst in the construction sector

Political history Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, he has lived in the United Kingdom for five years, and voted the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “somewhat moderate right”

Interesting fact He taught himself to read and write the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”

Initial impressions

Akshat Over the last two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The issues Peter and I discussed are UK-centric, but they are also universal, because human life more or less evolve similarly wherever it is. I anticipated someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we had a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.

Peter We split appetizers – seafood rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. I felt somewhat anxious, as I think Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We each have immigrant backgrounds. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and Spain. We bonded over our affection for the capital.

The big beef

The first participant I view migration similar to adding salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the dish is delicious. Add too little or too much and the dish is insipid or overly seasoned.

Peter Akshat used an analogy about salt. It would be odd to exist if the state was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.

The first participant There are, unfortunately, individuals fleeing persecution, but a lot of migrants coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can weigh on the welfare system. Nobody forces you to go 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. I don’t think it is the case that you arrive and are employed and then following a half-decade you get indefinite leave to remain. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, visa fees are really high, there is an NHS surcharge, access to benefits is limited. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And regarding the new policies, whereby you can’t bring your family over, it is astonishing to state: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I think we have to have a certain level of compassion.

Common ground

The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. So am I, but simultaneously, wealth creation benefits society and ought to be promoted.

The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that certain elements of the community – government, the media – benefit from stoking division. We discovered common ground in basic principles and values.

Dessert and debate

The first participant Peter is of the opinion that because the UK benefitted from the colonial era, it ought to provide compensation to those countries. I simply think: you cannot judge the past with contemporary ethics; eras vary, current society had no control of what happened decades or a century ago. Suppose the Britain had to compensate India, it would be a huge amount of money. Is the UK in a position to do that? Certainly not.

The second participant In the past, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. For example, upon my arrival to the United Kingdom, people weren’t aware of the Great Famine and the role that imperial rule played in it. My view is decolonisation isn’t just about issuing payments, it ought to involve looking at what went wrong and our current responsibilities.

Takeaways

Akshat It won’t change the my perspective, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I talk to individuals every day whose views are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can strive for the improvement of society.

Peter We remained for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we each liked the meal, so we might become more open to having conversations with other people in future.