Eshwar, 35, Swindon<\/p>\n
Occupation Manager at a\u00a0multinational company<\/p>\n
Voting record Originally from India, Eshwar came to the UK in 2022 on\u00a0a\u00a0skilled worker visa. He voted Conservative in 2024 and describes himself as centre right<\/p>\n
Amuse bouche Once, on a pedalo in\u00a0Bangkok, Eshwar was chased by a\u00a0giant swimming monitor lizard<\/p>\n
Georgia, 26, London<\/p>\n
Occupation Politics and refugee rights<\/p>\n
Voting record Always Labour. If she\u2019d been old enough, Georgia would have voted remain in the EU referendum. \u201cMy dad was an MEP. The result came out on the day of my school prom\u201d<\/p>\n
Amuse bouche Georgia plays korfball, a kind of niche Dutch basketball<\/p>\n
For starters<\/p>\n
Eshwar I was born in Chennai, and studied mechanical engineering. I\u00a0did\u00a0a master\u2019s in Singapore and stayed until moving to the UK. My\u00a0fiscal conservatism comes from my\u00a0upbringing.<\/p>\n
Georgia I\u2019m originally from Cambridge \u2013 my school was very white. Now my friends are young working professionals in London. I\u2019m very aware of that bubble. I did an exchange to India, working at a centre for displaced Rohingya women and children.<\/p>\n
Eshwar It was fancy Indian cuisine. I\u00a0had biryani and then some fried chicken. And gulab jamun for dessert.<\/p>\n
Georgia I had a yummy samosa chaat, a paneer dish and a bottle of merlot \u2013\u00a0not all of it! I took half home.<\/p>\n
The big beef<\/p>\n
Georgia We discussed Shabana Mahmood\u2019s proposed changes for\u00a0migrants claiming settlement, increasing the qualifying period to 15\u00a0years\u2019 residence for some groups. It\u2019s not fair to change the rules for people once they\u2019re here.<\/p>\n
Eshwar Shabana is walking a tightrope. She has her own party members to the left of her who aren\u2019t positive about the plan, but in the country overall immigration is a hot topic. The basis of\u00a0her plan \u2013 extending it from five to 10\u00a0years with discount years based on the suitability of the person to British society \u2013 I think is fair. In Singapore you apply for permanent residence and get a yes or a no, there\u2019s no rationale, you can\u2019t challenge it.<\/p>\n
Georgia A lot of Eshwar\u2019s opinions are\u00a0formed by his time in Singapore. Compared with that the UK is better, but two wrongs don\u2019t make a right. Many people affected are people we rely on. There should be clear exemptions for\u00a0teachers, health and social care workers. Also jobs when there are no\u00a0British workers to fill them, even if\u00a0it\u2019s low skilled like a cleaner.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s say Shabana\u2019s plan is\u00a0relaxed 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.<\/p>\n
Sharing plate<\/p>\n
Eshwar Georgia\u2019s been to India. We spoke about how people can be more open in eastern cultures than in the west, particularly about politics.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
For afters<\/p>\n
Georgia Eshwar loves Elon Musk! We\u00a0talked about billionaires and tech\u00a0bros. I said they all want global dominance, and there\u2019s an intersection with the manosphere. He agreed, except for Elon Musk.<\/p>\n
Eshwar I\u2019m a mechanical engineer, my\u00a0dad worked for Ford. I give Musk the credit for accelerating the EV\u00a0revolution. And the story repeats itself for SpaceX, and transforming the internet in rural communities. Doge I\u00a0think started in a good place. I don\u2019t fully agree with all his ideas, but he\u2019s accomplished a lot. I\u2019m willing to cut him slack for his playful vibes.<\/p>\n
Takeaways<\/p>\n
Georgia I\u2019m a politics nerd, so it was perfect \u2013 skip the small talk and get straight into it. Eshwar dropped me off\u00a0at the station. In his Tesla!<\/p>\n
Eshwar The biggest unlock for me was understanding the left\u2019s point of view. It\u2019s not: this is the current situation, this is how to navigate it. It\u2019s more: ignore all that, clear the table, what would you do if it was a clean slate?<\/p>\n
Additional reporting: Kitty Drake<\/p>\n
Eshwar and Georgia ate at Clay\u2019s Kitchen<\/a> in Caversham, Reading<\/p>\n