Sam, 34, London
Profession Communications professional
Voting record A former Labour member since 16, he recently switched to the Greens and plans to vote for them.
Interesting tidbit Is the author of a humorous book exploring the dogs of famous thinkers.
Catrina, Twenty-Four, London
Occupation Currently unemployed, was previously a caseworker for a hospital homelessness team.
Voting record Her electoral history includes a tactical Liberal Democrat vote followed by a Green vote.
Interesting tidbit When Catrina was sent home from university during Covid, she worked in a mortuary, then used that experience for her dissertation.
First Impressions
Catrina I found him to be wonderfully cheerful and vibrant. He looked sharp in a pink suit he'd worn for his wedding.
Samuel She was fantastic company. I admired her recent four-month adventure along the Silk Road. She was inquisitive, articulate, and our chat never lagged.
Catrina The menu was an eclectic fusion, blending German and Korean influences. I chose a hotdog, we shared an oyster, and enjoyed some cocktails.
Samuel I had a lobster roll and an oyster, followed by a Korean doughnut.
The big beef
Catrina When I say I think there’s too much immigration, I’m basing that off the 900,000 figure, which I think is from 2023. My reasoning is that if we’re thinking about migration as something that happens not just to the UK but to the world, in many cases the UK government is recruiting workers from countries like west Africa, where there’s a skills shortage. I don’t think that’s an ethical thing to do.
Samuel It’s not that Catrina’s unwelcoming or racist; it’s more that she was concerned that by allowing a vacuum in our system, which needs doctors etc to come and work for us, we were creating a brain drain elsewhere. I said it reminded me of that Stewart Lee anti-Ukip sketch: “I think the brightest and best should stay in Bulgaria”. She said that was her favourite sketch.
Catrina A significant portion of migration figures are international students, and universities have financial incentives to enrol them. While I cherish our multicultural society, the current system seems flawed.
Samuel I grasped her argument. However, the draw of our world-class universities is powerful. The issue isn't the students themselves, but a system that prioritises revenue over societal good.
Side Dishes
Catrina I agree that aspects of social justice activism have become counterproductive. The focus has shifted excessively to individual guilt over collective, institutional responsibility for issues like sexism, which pushes people away.
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 I was less optimistic than Sam regarding AI's promise. In my view, social media algorithms are poisoning our political discourse and eroding life satisfaction.
Samuel The doom-scrolling trap of social media is real. Yet, I'm inspired by humanity's technological journey, a testament to our quest for knowledge and community. Look at AI's role in advancing early disease detection.
Takeaways
Catrina We swapped contact details. He was a genuinely lovely person, and I hope we meet 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.
