Jose, 55, Ely, Cambridgeshire
Occupation Jose is just not at present working
Voting file A Labour member who has voted for the celebration all her life
Amuse bouche Jose used to mannequin. And labored as Stephen Hawking’s carer
Olly, 39, Cambridge
Occupation Artist, carer
Voting file Olly is an anarchist – he doesn’t vote as a result of voting endorses the system
Amuse bouche He speaks Japanese fluently. And is studying to make tapestries
For starters
Olly She got here in a wheelchair. I assumed: that is going to be fascinating. My dad, who I look after, can be in a wheelchair. I don’t prefer it when folks soar out of the best way or attempt to assist – we talked about that. It was good to have a chat with somebody in a wheelchair who isn’t my dad.
Jose I feel he was stunned I used to be in a wheelchair, and that I wasn’t white. He’s married to a Japanese lady so, you already know, he’s not racist … He’s open to different cultures and methods of life.
Olly I had some pasta stuff – Italian clearly. And a fishcake as properly … it wasn’t a fishcake, one thing vegan. It was a pleasant meal, cheers for that.
Jose I had scallops with pea puree and parsnips, then lamb cutlets with dauphinoise potatoes, then a sticky toffee pudding with white chocolate ice-cream. It was scrumptious.
The massive beef
Olly I wasn’t too fussed about Brexit. That free-market stuff is all about cash and infinite development, all that nonsense. The individuals who profit from immigration within the present political system are the individuals who profit from low cost labour – that’s what I fear about. However on the identical time, I’m an anarchist so I’m not going to say cease them coming. Simply to be clear, I'm fairly keen on lederhosen and waffles, a little bit of yodelling, love all that stuff.
Jose I cried when Brexit got here by. I imagine in open borders. I imagine in immigration. Additionally I really feel European. Brexit hasn’t labored, every thing goes downhill.
Olly It’s not simply the EU. It’s political programs I’m suspicious of, together with Brussels and Whitehall. I reject these programs.
Jose I’m involved in politics. I don’t agree with plenty of celebration politics, the infighting, slagging off and soiled methods. I don’t agree in any respect with the federal government we now have in the meanwhile. I feel they’re horrible, down on the conventional folks. However I imagine in democracy. He doesn’t imagine in any form of construction. I can see how he acquired there, as a result of he’s sad with every thing.
Sharing plate
Jose Statues of individuals linked to the slave commerce needs to be pulled down, due to what they symbolize.
Olly Why cease at racism and slavery? Coming to it as an artist, there’s plenty of public artwork I’d prefer to see torn down – like that horrible statue of lovers embracing within the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras in London. That’s the primary to go. It’s like when your grandmother goes to an artwork honest within the village corridor, brings again a horrible portray of a sad-looking clown and sticks it on the wall.
Jose On taking the knee, I feel something that brings racism to the forefront of individuals’s minds is an effective factor to do, however he stated it was an American factor and English folks ought to have their very own factor.
Olly I’ve been on BLM marches. I can’t touch upon taking the knee as a result of I’m not an individual of color, however from what I’m conscious of, the black British expertise and the African American expertise are very totally different.
For afters
Jose I feel he’s an anti-vaxxer.
Olly I’m not vaccinated. I really feel these vaccines are too new. I’d quite give it some thought for a number of years. Each time I see folks on TV saying “get vaccinated”, it looks like: “You peasant, get vaccinated, get again to work, for the minimal wage, and have unattainable goals.”
Jose I did point out that he was a carer, however he stated his dad was vaccinated so he thought it was all proper.
Takeaways
Olly We have been speaking for a very long time. It was a cool dialog. We weren’t polar opposites.
Jose It was a very good expertise. I used to be involved in listening to different folks’s views, and different folks’s experiences. I don’t assume folks do this sufficient – there’s not sufficient listening occurring. I didn’t actually know what an anarchist could be like. Now I do know!
Extra reporting: Naomi Larsson
Jose and Olly ate at The Oak Bistro, Cambridge
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