Giles, 39, Glasgow
Occupation Evaluation manager for a charity
Voting record Until recently, Labour. He campaigned for Corbyn in 2019, but left the party after Keir Starmer took office
Amuse bouche Giles’s family have all appeared on TV: his dad on Escape to the Country; his brother on Come Dine With Me; and his mum on The One Show. When Giles was working as an intern at Age UK, the actor Richard Wilson filmed a documentary there – and Giles’s hands made an appearance
Rupam, 34, East Kilbride
Occupation IT consultant
Voting record In India, Narendra Modi’s BJP party. In the UK, he voted Conservative in 2019. He won’t next time, because “no one should get away with such mismanagement”
Amuse bouche During a comedy show at college, Rupam was one of four guys called up on stage to do press-ups. The others got to about 20. “I was able to do 67 continuously, leaving everyone stunned. I can barely do 10 now”
For starters
Rupam The place was really nice. It’s Malaysian food – we shared a lot of dishedo in India.
Giles We got cocktails. I had a gimlet – a ridiculous Sex and the City cocktail. He had an old fashioned, and looked like Don Draper.
Rupam We talked about our backgrounds. I’m expecting my first child in March. We have no family here, so it’s going to be quite an experience. Giles has two kids.
Giles Rupam seemed nice. I was expecting someone older, a boomer. I think I assume younger people are more progressive in their views.
The big beef
Giles I’m a socialist, I want a bigger state that has more influence over people’s lives. We talked about how to pay for public services: I think we should tax wealth and big corporations more.
Rupam The government should be a watchdog and a regulator to ensure that companies do not develop into monopolies, but it should let the private sector lead growth. When it comes to tax, high net worth individuals have opportunities to move to favourable tax geographies, and people like us, who are middle class, are left with high taxation bills.
Giles I don’t care if they fuck off to Singapore, frankly. There are countless examples of how rampant capitalism is creating an unequal, unstable society, putting money in the pockets of the wealthy at the expense of the workers, who have diminishing access to the basics of existence.
Rupam It’s not the government’s job to provide benefits to every individual. Socialism doesn’t sit well with me, that’s probably from the experience India had. It seemed Giles was on the verge of being a communist. Communism hasn’t worked anywhere.
Sharing plate
Rupam Both of us are people who, if our requirements are met, would prefer peace over too much ambition.
Giles We shared a degree of spiritual common ground, in that ultimately life is about being happy in the moment.
For afters
Rupam We had our differences on immigration. I am an immigrant but I came here on a government-sponsored visa, so I can constructively add to the economy. You cannot have open borders without having social and financial consequences; you will be overrun, wages will be undercut.
Giles The Conservative government has made people think humans are like objects that contribute towards an economic system. Nation states are an arbitrary concept. Let them come; often they’re coming from places that are war torn and offer no opportunity … why wouldn’t we welcome them? Migration brings vibrancy and opportunity.
Rupam If it’s a genuine case, of course they should be treated so. But I know of people coming to Europe or the US saying they are refugees facing persecution in India because of their political opinions, but they’re just coming for financial reasons.
Takeaways
Rupam I have come across a lot of left-leaning people in Scotland, but normally you don’t go into this depth of conversation. I felt comfortable to go here, there and everywhere, and pick everything apart.
Giles It’s nice to speak to someone who is in a different world. Having similar perspectives on the meaning of life, there’s some sincere primal human experience you share. We shook hands and I got in my Uber.
Additional reporting: Kitty Drake
• Giles and Rupam ate at Ga Ga Kitchen in Glasgow
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