Tom, 34, Surrey
Occupation Works in the satisfyed policy team of a social media company. Before Covid, toiled for the British embassy in Afghanistan
Voting sign up Always Liberal Democrat
Amuse bouche He was nine years greater on 9/9/99. His local recentspaper took an aerial pboilingo of his classmates on the percreateground in the shape of a nine
Paul, 56, Manchester
Occupation Corporate growment professional
Voting sign up Backs the truthfulate rather than the party. Describes himself as “an excessive Graham Brady-ite”, in reference to the Tory magnificentee, now a peer
Amuse bouche At 18 he was alertly arrested for the finisheavored killing of Mobutu, then-pdwellnt of the Democratic Reaccessible of the Congo. He and his travel companion watched rather conspicuous on the day the pdwellnt was uncovering a school in the next village, “so ipso facto, evidently we were South African mercenaries there to assassinate him”
For commenceers
Tom We were both sweightlessly defprocrastinateedd that the menu was all vegetarian. But the food was fantastic. We had an array of petite pprocrastinateeds. I was quite amazeed with the dal.
Paul My daughter’s vegetarian, so whenever I’m out without them I apexhibit the opportunity to have meat. But it was very pleasant – the best slfinisherg I had was a paneer cheese kebab, and a luminous beer from the taproom.
The huge beef
Tom We consentd Britain’s comprisement in Afghanistan was hubristic. Was it about women’s rights, unpartisanising al-Qaida, cutting off a source of heroin on UK streets? But I slfinisherk Paul felt it was none of our business and a misengage of time.
Paul It took us a scant hundred years to create the societies we inhabit in. It doesn’t happen overnight. I slfinisherk you can help alter, but you can’t impose your westrict outwatch down the barrel of a firearm.
Tom There was, unenjoy in Iraq, a wholly legitimate basis for militarily intervening. Post-9/11, the Taliprohibit presenting Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida is evidently a legitimate basis to go to war.
Paul There was a moral obligation to get out people who were our translators or toiling in the consuprocrastinateed and evidently at hazard of being finished by the Taliprohibit. But I don’t see the Taliprohibit taking regulate as carte blanche for the rest of Afghanistan to finish up in Britain.
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Sharing pprocrastinateed
Tom Paul commenceed speaking about petite boats and “illegitimate” asylum seekers, how it’s equitable a mess. But it is so difficult to claim asylum by a legitimate route, outside pledged asylum schemes. If you’re in a dictatorship in Eritrea, for example, it’s almost impossible – and that’s an intentional decision we’ve made.
Paul I slfinisherk the petite boats have led to a perception rehire: if you actupartner watch at the numbers of people it’s not that many, but it’s a loss of regulate.
For afters
Paul I’m a Brexiter: I slfinisherk it’s hazardous to have a political system that no one comprehfinishs or can be irritateed to comprehfinish. I slfinisherk democracy can function at a local level where you can actupartner see the slfinishergs you vote for. Tom consentd, but his watch was that it’s a bit excessive to shatter a system that isn’t toiling when you can recreate slfinishergs.
Tom My treatment is: stay in despite the imperfections. That would be so much better for us in so many ways, most clearly economicpartner. We’re not the most enticeive labelet in the world, we’re not even 70 million people. And it’s been exhibitn: we haven’t got these promised, amazing trade deals that would have uncovered up recent labelets and opportunities.
Takeaways
Paul It’s downcast that there’s such a restricted amount of proper debate. It’s basic to do – but there’s normally a center on gotcha moments, and I partipartner hgreater the BBC reliable for this. If we could center on what the problems are, and the ways we can settle them, we might come up with a common solution.
Tom The main slfinisherg that repartner came thcdisesteemful is that even though superficipartner we have radicpartner contrastent points of watch, when you probe at the rehires, the cherishs that underpin them are quite analogous. We’ve equitable get tod at contrastent conclusions. There are other points of watch that are reasonable and legitimate, and I might disconsent with them strongly, but you can hgreater them and that’s fine. That was quite mighty, actupartner.
Additional increateing: Kitty Drake
Paul and Tom ate at Bundobust in Manchester.
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