Meeting Across the Divide
David, a 70-year-old retired modern foreign languages tutor from York, and Janus, a 42-year-old volunteer hospital radio DJ from South Yorkshire, met for dinner at Piccolino in Sheffield as part of the Dining across the divide series. Despite their different political affiliations—David mostly votes Labour, while Janus votes for the English Democrats—they found common ground on many issues.
David admitted he was surprised by Janus: 'I had an idea he was a Tommy Robinson fan and I was thinking, “Oh my God”, but he was the most gentle, non-confrontational chap you can imagine.' Janus was not nervous and said they 'got on well and agreed on almost everything.'
Disagreement Over Flags
The main point of contention was the display of the English flag. David expressed strong feelings: 'I’m very, very affronted by the misuse of the English flag. It’s been taken over by thugs.' He noted that flag-wavers in York had threatened old ladies and intimidated foreign students at York University.
Janus countered: 'I don’t think hanging flags is intimidating and anyone getting offended is being stupid, really. This is England—putting out the cross of St George or the union jack should be normal.' However, Janus agreed that flags should be reserved for special occasions, such as national holidays, rather than flown all year round.
English Parliament and Devolution
The conversation turned to the need for an English parliament. Janus asked why devolution works for other parts of the UK but not for England. David disagreed, arguing that Westminster is already English-centric. Janus clarified that as an English Democrat, his party originally focused on an English parliament but now talks too much about immigration and small boats, making them look like other rightwing parties.
Digital Exclusion
David, who considered himself IT-literate, was struck by Janus's experience of digital exclusion. Janus noted that too many jobs require IT skills, leaving regular people at risk of unemployment. He wanted to take a college course but was told he had to use an app. Janus advocated for a return to traditional methods: textbooks, notebooks, and handwriting.
David reflected: 'Talking to Janus really revealed to me that if you’re living on minimum wage or state top-ups, the digital world can be extremely difficult to enter.'
Takeaways and Common Ground
David concluded that the conversation made him think about contrasting worlds of advantage and disadvantage, and he could see why people from deprived areas might support radical parties. Janus enjoyed meeting someone who, despite opposing views, cared about the same things. 'We had a good laugh and I enjoyed meeting someone who, even if we had opposing views, cared about a lot of the same things as me. I’d be happy to do that again,' Janus said.
Additional reporting by Kitty Drake. David and Janus ate at Piccolino in Sheffield.
