Profession Ex- civil servant, currently a student focusing on public health
Political history Supported the Green Party last time (and a member of the party); previously Labour. Describes himself as “left, and globalist instead of nationalist”
Amuse bouche A sketch of a teacup Peter created as a kid was once hung in the Irish National Gallery
Occupation Risk manager in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Originally from India, Akshat has lived in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and supported the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “slightly right of centre”
Amuse bouche He self-learned to understand Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”
Akshat Over the last two decades, I have resided and been employed in Qatar, South Korea, the US. The topics Peter and I talked about are focused on Britain, but they are also global, because human life largely follows the same curve wherever it is. I anticipated a staunch liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a good, rational discussion. I drank beer, he opted for mojitos.
Peter We split starters – seafood rolls, steamed buns, radish cakes with sprouts, which were excellent. I was a little nervous, as I think he was too. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We each have immigrant backgrounds. I grew up in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our love of London.
Akshat I view immigration like sprinkling salt to a dish. With a small amount, the food tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned.
The second participant He used an analogy about salt. It would be a funny place to be if the government was choosing some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.
The first participant There are, sadly, people fleeing persecution, but many migrants coming to the UK are those seeking better finances who do not necessarily add significant value 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 yourself and your family.
The second participant We became confused with some of the facts. In my view it is the case that you come over and work and then after five years you get permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. It’s been a hostile environment since Theresa May, visa fees are really high, you pay an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And concerning the new policies, whereby family reunification is restricted, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I believe we have to have a degree of compassion.
The first participant Peter questions unregulated markets. I am, too, but at the same time, economic growth helps communities and should be encouraged.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we agreed that some parts of society – government, the media – benefit from stoking division. We discovered common ground in fundamentals and ethics.
The first participant Peter believes that since the UK benefitted from colonial times, it should pay reparations to affected nations. My view is simply: you cannot judge the past with present day morality; times are different, current society were not responsible of events decades or a century ago. Suppose the Britain had to compensate India, it would be a huge amount of funds. Is Britain able to manage that? Certainly not.
The second participant Until recently, I believe adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. As an instance, upon my arrival to the United Kingdom, people weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the role that imperial rule contributed to it. My view is decolonisation is not merely about issuing payments, it ought to involve examining what went wrong and our current responsibilities.
Akshat It may not alter the my perspective, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I converse with individuals regularly whose views are contrary to mine. The goal is uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can work towards the improvement of society.
The second participant We remained for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we each liked the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with other people in future.
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