Amuse bouche Phill has auditioned for\u00a0Britain\u2019s Got Talent many times. Never successfully, he says, because \u201cI\u00a0haven\u2019t got a sob story\u201d<\/p>\n
Joe, 32, Cambridge<\/p>\n
Occupation Agricultural engineer<\/p>\n
Voting record Labour<\/a> when Jeremy Corbyn<\/a> was leader. More recently Green<\/p>\n Amuse bouche Joe is an expert at the Chinese strategy board game Go<\/p>\n For starters<\/p>\n Joe Phill was better dressed than I\u00a0was. I\u2019d been at an agricultural show, so I was dressed for being on a farm. We talked about our lives. I\u2019m an immigrant from China, came to the UK when I was four, lived on a council estate. My dad worked in a takeaway. I\u00a0have an eight-month-old daughter.<\/p>\n Phill I\u2019m about to celebrate my silver wedding anniversary. I\u2019ve got two boys at university, both home for the summer, working on the punts in Cambridge. Joe\u2019s a nice chap. I didn\u2019t think, oh God, he\u2019s a lefty \u2013 I don\u2019t judge people like that.<\/p>\n Joe We asked them to surprise us and they delivered a beautiful sharing board with many of their signature dishes; dal, lamb and chicken curries.<\/p>\n Phill The food was really nice. Washed down with a pint of cider.<\/p>\n The big beef<\/p>\n Joe I voted for the Greens<\/a> because I\u00a0was impressed by their manifesto. I\u00a0liked their policy on housing \u2013 there are many vacant properties that could be converted in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way.<\/p>\n Phill I think Zack Polanski<\/a> is a raving idiot, and a danger to the country. None of their policies have been costed \u2013 it just involves taxing companies and successful people more. I think Labour and the Tories are history. The next election will be Greens v Reform. I\u2019m hoping [Restore Britain leader] Rupert Lowe might do a deal with Farage. I don\u2019t trust Farage \u2013 he\u2019s very establishment, a showman like Boris, but not as likable.<\/p>\n Joe I disagree that the Greens\u2019 economic policies are unrealistic. I\u00a0have seen Rupert Lowe\u2019s website \u2013 I\u00a0wouldn\u2019t call it a manifesto. It seems to talk about immigrants and non-British people almost exclusively, which in my mind is insufficient policy\u00a0to run a country.<\/p>\n Phill The country is in a lot of trouble, particularly with immigration, but also with far too many people on benefits that shouldn\u2019t be. There are genuine people, but there are a lot that aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to Inside Saturday<\/p>\n The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Sharing plate<\/p>\n Joe We talked a little about foxhunting. He was strongly in favour. I was more on the fence, but I can see the economic benefit of allowing it to occur. I do think, from the videos I\u2019ve seen, that the intention isn\u2019t to cruelly kill the fox.<\/p>\n Phill It should never have been banned; it was wildlife management. Generally, the foxes that were killed were the injured ones. Since the ban, there has been something like a third less foxes in the countryside. Trail hunting \u2013 following a scent \u2013 is still allowed. Very occasionally, a fox will run out when they\u2019re on the chase, and the dogs will chase it, but not with our hunt \u2013 my wife is master of the hounds.<\/p>\n Joe I asked Phill if I could come along and see what happens. I don\u2019t have my own horse, or any dogs \u2013 perhaps he will lend me some.<\/p>\n For afters<\/p>\n Phill We agreed immigration is necessary, but disagreed on the type of immigration. I think it should be stopped for the time being so we sit back and look what\u2019s happening to the country; then, if needed, start opening it up again but with the right people who are going to do something for the country rather than take, take, take.<\/p>\n Joe We agreed it wasn\u2019t good to have people coming on small boats, but for me it was more about danger and money going to people traffickers. They are a small minority, and I feel he generalised from those people to the larger immigrant population. I would agree there are some bad immigrants, and he agrees there are some good ones. We didn\u2019t discuss whether I was a good immigrant.<\/p>\n Takeaways<\/p>\n Phill Joe wasn\u2019t how I was expecting a\u00a0mad lefty to be \u2013 he\u2019s well mannered, a family man, a decent chap.<\/p>\n Joe Phill didn\u2019t change my mind about anything, but he is a great person \u2013\u00a0interesting, personable, charming. Because I\u2019d parked further away, he gave me a lift to my car.<\/p>\n Additional reporting: Kitty Drake<\/p>\n Joe and Phill ate at Mitr in Royston<\/a>, Hertfordshire<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782376450_973_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n