Conor, 32, Brighton
Occupation Architect and university lecturer
Voting record Always Labour, but now Green due to environmental concerns
Amuse bouche At school he was told to write a poem for a competition for the Queen’s golden jubilee, and won. He’s a republican and even then “wasn’t into the Queen, just doing what I was told”
Stefan, 22, London
Occupation Accounting assistant at a construction firm
Voting record He spoils his ballot because “none of the major parties appeal to me”
Amuse bouche Worked as a bartender for four years and once served Eddie Redmayne a glass of red wine
For starters
Conor Given what I knew about his views I thought he’d be a boomer, not a zoomer, but he was less conservative than I imagined. We hadn’t looked at the menu, so they said, “Do you want us to just bring out stuff?” We shared cauliflower fritters, sea bass sashimi, patatas bravas – the best thing I ate was affogato, a single espresso with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream.
Stefan The food was fantastic. We sat on stools looking into the open kitchen. The pickled monkfish was delicious.
The big beef
Conor The idea of 15-minute cities is that they’re designed so all amenities are within a 15-minute walk or cycle. I asked what he thought of them and he said: “They’re a conspiracy theory, aren’t they? That’s what I’ve read.”
Stefan It’s not something I know much about, but I like looking into the murky corners of the far right, and it crops up a lot in those circles. They see London’s Ulez expansion as the first domino falling in what will become this dystopia, in which you’re designated to a certain area. I don’t agree with the conspiracy theory side of it, but do maintain that Ulez is a fundamentally indecent money-making scheme that punishes the poorest in society and violates our individual rights.
Conor The 15-minute city doesn’t mean you can’t leave; it just gives you a choice of having things closer, which means you can do more with your time. He thinks Ulez is an issue because it’s a tax on the poor – which I don’t disagree with – and a repression of people’s movement.
Sharing plate
Conor We agreed that public transport should be improved to reduce carbon impact – we both think London’s Elizabeth line was a triumph. He said he doesn’t think government control should get in the way of freedom of choice; that we shouldn’t be stopped from driving our six-litre cars just because someone else has got climate anxiety. For him, freedom of speech and movement overrules most things, which is not how I feel.
Stefan I’ve got enough anxiety about other things without having to think about the climate! I know it’s happening, but think about it as little as I can. The crux of my politics is that the most important thing to me is personal, individual freedom.
For afters
Conor It’s unfair that people have to walk past statues of slave traders. How can children be expected to reject racist attitudes when the education system leaves them unequipped to understand the context of colonialism?
Stefan I asked if he would support what they did in Bristol, tearing it down.
Conor As an architect, you can’t support pulling down Grade I-listed monuments. There’s an argument for explaining them in situ – perhaps an engraving in the pavement that tells you what, say, Robert Clive did. As a designer, I’d love to get involved with that.
Stefan Obviously it’s a terrible period of human history, but he believed in giving financial reparations to help address the wrongs of slavery. I see the idea, but I don’t think it’s possible to quantify in today’s money what is owed. Also it would be a tough sell as a politician during a cost of living crisis.
Takeaways
Conor I hesitated about doing this, but then thought it was a good idea to get out of living in a silo and meet someone with different views. It’s nice to be slightly uncomfortable, and it showed that you can find mutual ground.
Stefan Even though our views are so conflicting, we had a frank conversation. Conor was really nice to talk to, a clever guy – I think we both took something from it.
Additional reporting: Kitty Drake
• Conor and Stefan ate at Barrafina Coal Drops Yard, London N1.
Want to meet someone from across the divide? Find out how to take part
