Conversing Over the Divide: A Encounter Between Opposing Viewpoints
Meeting the Individuals
First Diner: P., 34, from London
Profession Former government employee, currently a learner studying community health
Voting record Voted Green recently (and a member of the political group); formerly Labour Party. Describes himself as “left, and globalist rather than patriotic”
Interesting fact A sketch of a teacup Peter created as a child was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland
Second Participant: A., 43, from Harrow
Profession Risk analyst in the construction sector
Political history Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, he has resided in the UK for half a decade, and supported the Conservative Party. Identifies as “slightly right of centre”
Amuse bouche He taught himself to read and write the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I was just fascinated”
For starters
The first participant Over the last 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, South Korea, the US. The topics we discussed are UK-centric, but they are also global, because human life more or less follows the same curve wherever it is. I was expecting someone very liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a good, rational discussion. I drank beer, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We shared appetizers – fishy spring 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’ve lived in the United States and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our love of London.
Key disagreements
Akshat I view immigration like sprinkling salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the dish tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned.
The second participant He had a metaphor about salt. It would be odd to exist if the state was choosing some preferred demographic of the country.
The first participant There are, unfortunately, people fleeing persecution, but a lot of migrants coming to the UK are economic migrants who do not necessarily add significant value and can burden the welfare system. Nobody forces you to go 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 became confused with some of the facts. I don’t think it is the case that you arrive and work and then after five years you obtain permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment since Theresa May, application costs are really high, there is an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is limited. There is no special treatment for anyone. And concerning the recent changes, under which family reunification is restricted, it is astonishing to state: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I believe we have to have a certain level of humanity.
Common ground
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of 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 media – thrive off stoking division. We discovered common ground in basic principles and ethics.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter is of the opinion that because the UK benefitted from the colonial era, it ought to provide reparations to affected nations. My view is simply: it is unfair to assess the past with present day morality; times are different, modern people had no control of events 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the UK had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of money. Is the UK in a position to manage that? No.
Peter Until recently, I believe adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. As an instance, when I first moved to the UK, people had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the role that imperial rule played in it. My view is decolonisation is not merely about issuing payments, it should be about examining what went wrong and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
The first participant It may not alter the way I think, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I converse with people every day whose views are contrary to mine. The goal is uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can strive for the betterment of the community.
The second participant We were there for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I had some sweet Japanese wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we each liked the meal, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with other people in the coming times.
