Joe, a 41-year-old Green party member from Trafford, and Keith, an 89-year-old retired journalist from Cheshire, met for a meal at La Cantina in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, as part of the Guardian's "Dining across the divide" series. Despite their differences on the EU, they discovered unexpected common ground on renewable energy and the NHS.
First impressions and the meal
Joe, who works as a press officer at a university and is a Green party member, had formed a view of Keith before meeting him, but found him "really warm and friendly. It was like two old friends. It was just so comfortable." Keith, who normally votes Labour and once voted Conservative for Margaret Thatcher, was not nervous at all, saying, "I'm used to talking to people and it didn't bother me."
The meal began with Joe ordering prosciutto and melon, followed by chicken in breadcrumbs, while Keith started with calamari and then gnocchi with prawns.
The EU debate: independence vs. economy
The main disagreement centered on the EU. Joe argued that leaving the EU has "destroyed exports and left us isolated," but Keith, who voted for Brexit for independence, agreed with the economic damage yet maintained his stance. Keith said, "I voted for Brexit for independence, not for the economy, although the economy could have been handled better by the prime ministers since." He blamed Theresa May and Boris Johnson for letting the process drag on, saying, "Both she and Boris Johnson should share the blame because they let it drag on for so long."
Joe noted that Keith's views on the EU were from a leftwing perspective, not the "stop the boats" rhetoric he expected. Keith also expressed agreement with Nigel Farage on the European superstate, but Joe observed that Keith is "really anti-Trump, and really anti the rightwing position on migrants."
Common ground on the NHS and renewable energy
On the NHS, both found agreement. Joe, who has worked in the NHS, criticized the right wing for focusing on overspending and equality initiatives, arguing that "all of that is a tiny drop in the ocean compared with PFI." Keith acknowledged that PFI has been "a bit of a disaster" but was open to other ways of bringing in private money, noting the NHS pays "hundreds of millions in interest on PFI payments."
On renewable energy, Joe argued that drilling in the North Sea won't benefit British consumers because the oil is sold on international markets, and instead the country should invest in renewable capacity. Keith agreed with the goal of renewables and cutting pollution, but said, "I just don't think we need to do it as quickly as people like Ed Miliband want us to. It's impoverishing the country, we're losing industry."
Parting thoughts
As the meal ended, Joe regretted not taking Keith's email address to keep in touch, while Keith lamented, "The only problem I was left with was that I'm never going to see him or hear from him again. He's a long way away to go out for a casual drink." The meal, part of a series exploring cross-political dialogue, was photographed by Jane MacNeil, with additional reporting by Kitty Drake.
