Dining across the divide: ‘I’m willing to cut Elon Musk some slack for his playful vibes’

Eshwar, 35, Swindon

Occupation Manager at a multinational company

Voting record Originally from India, Eshwar came to the UK in 2022 on a skilled worker visa. He voted Conservative in 2024 and describes himself as centre right

Amuse bouche Once, on a pedalo in Bangkok, Eshwar was chased by a giant swimming monitor lizard

Georgia, 26, London

Occupation Politics and refugee rights

Voting record Always Labour. If she’d been old enough, Georgia would have voted remain in the EU referendum. “My dad was an MEP. The result came out on the day of my school prom”

Amuse bouche Georgia plays korfball, a kind of niche Dutch basketball

For starters

Eshwar I was born in Chennai, and studied mechanical engineering. I did a master’s in Singapore and stayed until moving to the UK. My fiscal conservatism comes from my upbringing.

Georgia I’m originally from Cambridge – my school was very white. Now my friends are young working professionals in London. I’m very aware of that bubble. I did an exchange to India, working at a centre for displaced Rohingya women and children.

Eshwar It was fancy Indian cuisine. I had biryani and then some fried chicken. And gulab jamun for dessert.

Georgia I had a yummy samosa chaat, a paneer dish and a bottle of merlot – not all of it! I took half home.

The big beef

Georgia We discussed Shabana Mahmood’s proposed changes for migrants claiming settlement, increasing the qualifying period to 15 years’ residence for some groups. It’s not fair to change the rules for people once they’re here.

Eshwar Shabana is walking a tightrope. She has her own party members to the left of her who aren’t positive about the plan, but in the country overall immigration is a hot topic. The basis of her plan – extending it from five to 10 years with discount years based on the suitability of the person to British society – I think is fair. In Singapore you apply for permanent residence and get a yes or a no, there’s no rationale, you can’t challenge it.

Georgia A lot of Eshwar’s opinions are formed by his time in Singapore. Compared with that the UK is better, but two wrongs don’t make a right. Many people affected are people we rely on. There should be clear exemptions for teachers, health and social care workers. Also jobs when there are no British workers to fill them, even if it’s low skilled like a cleaner.

Eshwar With less skilled jobs, they should reduce benefits so instead of basically giving a minimum salary threshold though universal credit, there is some motivation for the local population. Let’s say Shabana’s plan is relaxed and she says let everyone in, then Labour probably loses the next election, Reform wins and the longer-term effect is going to be worse.

Sharing plate

Eshwar Georgia’s been to India. We spoke about how people can be more open in eastern cultures than in the west, particularly about politics.

Georgia He said British people are too PC and that he could make jokes about culture with his Asian friends but not with his white friends. I kind of agree, so I made a joke that both his kids would probably end up being doctors, and he laughed. We could take the mick a bit.

For afters

Georgia Eshwar loves Elon Musk! We talked about billionaires and tech bros. I said they all want global dominance, and there’s an intersection with the manosphere. He agreed, except for Elon Musk.

Eshwar I’m a mechanical engineer, my dad worked for Ford. I give Musk the credit for accelerating the EV revolution. And the story repeats itself for SpaceX, and transforming the internet in rural communities. Doge I think started in a good place. I don’t fully agree with all his ideas, but he’s accomplished a lot. I’m willing to cut him slack for his playful vibes.

Takeaways

Georgia I’m a politics nerd, so it was perfect – skip the small talk and get straight into it. Eshwar dropped me off at the station. In his Tesla!

Eshwar The biggest unlock for me was understanding the left’s point of view. It’s not: this is the current situation, this is how to navigate it. It’s more: ignore all that, clear the table, what would you do if it was a clean slate?

Additional reporting: Kitty Drake

Eshwar and Georgia ate at Clay’s Kitchen in Caversham, Reading

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