Teresa, 29, Nottingham
Occupation Philosophy research fellow
Voting record Almost exclusively Labour, apart from a couple of strategic Lib Dem votes
Amuse bouche Has moved country four times since 2020: from the UK to the Czech Republic, then to Austria, then back to the Czech Republic and then back to the UK
Richard, 52 Ashbourne
Occupation Farmer
Voting record Usually Conservative; sometimes stays at home
Amuse bouche Keeps Angus cattle. They’re a stress-free cow – they don’t cause a lot of trouble
For starters
Richard I thought she might be a student, because she’s quite young, but she’s not, she’s a philosopher. I was half right.
Teresa He said at the start that he’s got more left wing as he’s got older. I feel as if I would have massively disagreed with the Richard of five years ago.
Richard I had a confit of salmon terrine to start. Then I did the farmery thing and had the sirloin steak. It was quite good. Could’ve been bigger.
Teresa I had the mushroom starter and the fishcake for the main, and then plum and apple tart for dessert.
The big beef
Richard She saw absolutely no point in the monarchy. I’m not a servile, deferential monarchist, and I don’t have union jacks slathered all over my house at coronation time. But I don’t see any harm in it. Her mum is Czech and her parents met in Sweden, where the royals live in normal houses. I don’t see the point of that. The whole point is that they’re different.
Teresa I guess, for me, the monarchy is a symbol of accepting that some people can just be born into massive wealth and political privilege. Of course that exists on a huge scale across politics. Our cabinet is composed of people who were also born into wealth and political privilege, but the royal family is the shiniest possible image of us accepting that level of inequality.
Richard I like the continuity, and I like having the figurehead. If you didn’t have them, you’d end up with someone like bloody Farage, wouldn’t you? There’s a republican movement in the country, but I think if the royal family is going to unravel, it’ll unravel by itself. It’ll come from the next generation saying, “We really can’t be bothered any more.”
Teresa I know they don’t have as much explicit power as they did a couple of generations ago, but it feels undemocratic. My preference would have been to let it die with Lizzie.
Sharing plate
Richard I voted leave, Teresa voted to remain. She had very good reasons for remaining – she was probably more invested in the EU than I was. I was mainly voting on the common agricultural policy and the idiocy that came out of that.
Teresa I’m grateful to still have my Czech passport. I’ve only experienced the benefits of the EU. Working in a university, I’m really aware of the impact Brexit has had on funding.
Richard The EU would govern on a daily basis what I did on the farm. UK governments blamed the EU for everything that got in the way. There was never any accountability.
Teresa He was telling me about the bureaucracy he’d had to deal with. I was genuinely surprised by the levels of involvement, and I did understand a bit better why someone might resent the EU.
For afters
Richard If you’re in your 70s now, you might be very well off and have your house paid for, but it wasn’t an easy time to be young, then. I don’t think the baby boomers had an easy passage through life.
Teresa We were talking about the problems that my generation were having getting on the housing ladder. I was arguing that it’s not about age, it’s about sheer wealth. People who can tighten their belts more should be made to, rather than asking people who are already pinched at the waist to dig in a notch.
Takeaways
Richard The conversation went so well. It was good to have my opinions tested without getting into a difficult argument.
Teresa He said I should consider becoming an MP, I’d do a good job. I thought: that’s a seriously ringing endorsement, coming from someone with such a different political background.
Additional reporting: Kitty Drake
• Richard and Teresa ate at Bistrot Pierre in Derby
Want to meet someone from across the divide? Find out how to take part
• This article was amended on 4 April 2024 because an earlier version said Teresa’s father is Swedish, which is incorrect. To clarify: Teresa’a parents met in Sweden.
