Dining Across the Gap: An Meeting Between Different Perspectives
Meeting the Participants
First Participant: Peter, 34, from London
Profession Ex- government employee, now a learner focusing on public health
Political history Voted the Green Party recently (also a member of the political group); formerly Labour. Identifies as “progressive, and internationalist instead of nationalist”
Interesting fact A sketch of a tea cup Peter did as a child was once hung in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Diner: A., 43, from Harrow
Occupation Risk manager in the infrastructure industry
Political history Originally from India, Akshat has resided in the UK for half a decade, and voted Conservative. Identifies as “somewhat right of centre”
Amuse bouche He self-learned to understand the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I was just fascinated”
For starters
Akshat Over the last 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in the Middle East, East Asia, the US. The topics we discussed are UK-centric, but they are also universal, because people's lives more or less evolve similarly across the world. I was expecting someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, he opted for mojitos.
The second participant We split appetizers – seafood rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were excellent. I was a little nervous, as I believe he was too. Would he criticize me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our love of the capital.
Key disagreements
The first participant I view migration like sprinkling salt to a meal. With a small amount, the food is delicious. Add too little or too much and the dish is insipid or overly seasoned.
The second participant He had a metaphor regarding seasoning. It would be a funny place to be if the government was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.
The first participant There are, unfortunately, individuals fleeing persecution, but a lot of people arriving in the UK are economic migrants who do not necessarily add significant value and can burden the benefit system. No one compels you to move to a new country for opportunity, so you should only go if you can take care of yourself and your relatives.
Peter We became confused with certain details. I don’t think it’s like you arrive and work and then following a half-decade you obtain permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. The climate has been unwelcoming since Theresa May, visa fees are quite expensive, you pay an healthcare levy, access to benefits is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And regarding the recent changes, whereby family reunification is restricted, 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 compassion.
Common ground
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. So am I, but simultaneously, economic growth benefits society and ought to be promoted.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we agreed that certain elements of society – government, the press – benefit from stoking division. We did find shared understanding in basic principles and values.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter believes that because the UK benefitted from colonial times, it ought to provide reparations to affected nations. I simply think: it is unfair to assess history with present day morality; eras vary, modern people were not responsible of events 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the UK was obliged to repay India, it would be a significant sum of funds. Is Britain able to manage that? Certainly not.
The second participant In the past, I don’t think there was much reckoning with the colonial past. As an instance, when I first moved to the UK, people had little knowledge of the Irish famine and the role that imperial rule contributed to it. I hold that decolonization isn’t just about signing a cheque, it should be about examining past errors and our current responsibilities.
Final thoughts
Akshat It may not alter the my perspective, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I talk to people every day whose views are opposite to mine. The goal is bringing everyone to the same page, in order that everyone can work towards the improvement of society.
Peter We were there for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I had some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of anything, but we each liked the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to having conversations with others in future.
