Samuel, Thirty-Four, London
Profession PR specialist
Political affiliation A former Labour member since 16, he recently switched to the Greens and plans to vote for them.
Amuse bouche Is the author of a humorous book exploring the dogs of famous thinkers.
Catrina, 24, London
Profession Between jobs, her last role was as a caseworker aiding homeless patients.
Political affiliation Her electoral history includes a tactical Liberal Democrat vote followed by a Green vote.
Interesting tidbit Her dissertation was inspired by time spent working in a mortuary after being sent home from university.
First Impressions
Catrina He was incredibly smiley, very bubbly and effervescent. He was wearing a fetching pink suit, which was his wedding suit.
Samuel She impressed me immediately. Having recently returned from a four-month Silk Road journey, she sparked my envy. Her intellectual curiosity and conversational skill made the discussion easy.
Catrina Our meal was a mix of cultures—German meets Korean. My main was a hotdog, we sampled an oyster, and sipped on cocktails.
Samuel I had a lobster roll and an oyster, followed by a Korean doughnut.
Key Discussion
Catrina My view on excessive immigration references the 2023 net migration figure of around 900,000. My concern is global: the UK actively recruits from nations like those in West Africa that themselves face critical skills shortages. I question the ethics of this approach.
Samuel Her position isn't rooted in xenophobia but in a ethical concern about global brain drain. Our need for foreign doctors and nurses, she feels, exacerbates shortages abroad. I likened it to a well-known comedy routine, which she admitted was a favourite.
Catrina The international student cohort contributes heavily to net migration. Universities, driven by economics, accept them readily. I value diversity deeply, but the present model appears unsustainable.
Samuel Her perspective made sense. Yet, the allure of our prestigious education sector is undeniable. The fault lies not with overseas students, but with a framework that values financial gain above all else.
Common Ground
Catrina On so-called 'woke' culture, I believe it has overreached. My criticism is that it often focuses too much on personal behaviour rather than systemic change. Problems like racism are embedded in society; making it purely individual can deter people from the conversation.
Samuel Catrina and I are probably thinking of people like Ash Sarkar or Slavoj Žižek, who argue that the problem with woke culture is that it’s dividing the left. It doesn’t need a debate: you treat human beings as you’d like to be treated, you go through life showing love and respect, and people return it to you.
Looking Forward
Catrina Sam was more optimistic than me about the potential for AI and technology. I think social media is really complicating our politics and diminishing people’s quality of life.
Samuel It’s difficult to completely disagree that social media algorithms keep us trapped in doom spirals. But I come at it from the point of view that you’ve got all of these incredible advances in technology over the last 200 years, that speak to the desire of humans to connect with each other and find answers to the puzzles we’ve been wondering about for ever. AI is helping screen more effectively for cancer.
Conclusions
Catrina We exchanged numbers. He was a really nice man, I’d love to catch up with him again.
Samuel She presented me with a Kazakh postcard showing a stunning mural on an abandoned building. The beauty of it struck me. It inspired a moment of self-reflection about bringing more beauty into the world.
