Simon, 64, Bury St Edmunds
Occupation Used to be a managing director of food companies. Now volunteers for Samaritans, among other charities
Voting record Always Conservative; has not been a continuous member of the party, though is one currently
Amuse bouche Keeps bees and distributes free honey to his neighbours, asking them to donate to the East Anglian Air Ambulance in return
Sara, 67, London
Occupation Was a broadcast journalist, is now what her husband rudely calls a quango queen
Voting record A floating voter who has backed each of the major parties
Amuse bouche Had her first ice-skating lesson with the person who went on to coach Torvill and Dean
For starters
Sara We had the tasting menu, which was fabulous because we didn’t have to choose anything.
Simon So many dishes: squab, short rib of beef, venison – we had a discussion about whether venison is kosher and the jury’s still out. Monkfish definitely isn’t kosher. I had that, which was very nice.
Sara We both voted remain and we’re both of Jewish extraction.
Simon We were there for almost four hours. Had she not had a train to catch, we’d still be sitting there.
The big beef
Sara When he was in the business of importing sugar in tankers, people who were desperate to come to this country got into them on occasion. Which a) was dangerous; b) he was opposed to it; and c) it contaminated the sugar. He managed to end that part of the trafficking trade, which helped drive the small boats, and now he’s very opposed to the small boats. I don’t want people risking their lives either – I want there to be safe and legal routes. That’s the only way to destroy the traffickers’ business model.
Simon She would like us, as a country, to offer a haven to anybody whose life is at risk, due to famine or war or whatever. A lot of her focus is understandably on the Middle East, Afghanistan. My counter-argument is: are we saying we would take unlimited numbers of people from any war zone? She says yes, and I think this is motherhood and apple pie. I don’t believe any of this can be unlimited. I can’t put a number on it, but there have to be limits.
Sara He thinks: “Why don’t refugees stay in their first safe country? That’s what the law says.” The law has never said that, but there was, before Brexit, the Dublin III regulation: you were usually deemed to have applied for asylum in the first country in Europe that you got to. But we’ve fallen out of that.
Simon I struggle with people coming from France – last time I checked, that was perfectly safe.
Sharing plate
Sara I host asylum seekers in my own home. I’ve had 40 to stay. I co-founded a charity that helps place refugees. Simon has had a Ukrainian refugee living with him for 18 months.
Simon Ukraine is a very good example: where appropriate, we should accept our fair share. So should all other safe countries, whether that’s the US or the wider European community.
Sara I said, “Syrians are under the same Putin bombs as Ukrainians – would you host one of those? Why are we treating Ukrainians any differently?” And he said, “It’s because they’re closer,” basically.
Simon Ukraine is an existential crisis, which is on my border, or that of the EU. If we did not draw a red line, we would have tanks on the borders of Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.
For afters
Sara Three of his grandparents were Jewish, one of whom fled a pogrom, so you’d think he would have more sympathy for refugees.
Simon Our families were from the same bit of Holland. What she does is extraordinary. I have a lot of respect for that, and a lot of her contentions are very persuasive.
Takeaways
Sara I was surprised that he had no experience whatsoever of Jewish traditions. I could see myself inviting him to a seder night or a Hanukah night just so he could see it.
Simon She’s a wonderful Jewish mother, warm, friendly, engaging, talks nineteen to the dozen, has a list of public appointments longer than your arm, my arm and everybody’s arm put together. A fascinating lady.
• Sara and Simon ate at Restaurant 22 in Cambridge. Want to meet someone from across the divide? Find out how to take part
