Natalie on Jacob
First impressions?
He is a very urbane, pleasant individual on a personal level. I’m sure he means well.
What did you talk about?
Political reform, agriculture and, on my insistence, about poverty and the way this government has treated disabled people. We then did a little bit of personal stories exchange. I was interested in his childhood, and I guess he was a little interested in mine, since they are very different.
What did you agree on?
We agreed there is much wrong with our current economic system, although we might disagree entirely on the solutions. We agree on supporting farmers, but very much disagree on the nature of the farming that we need to support.
What did you disagree on?
We fundamentally disagreed on the impact of this government on poor people, particularly the lives of disabled people. I think that perhaps his constituency isn’t representative of the whole country.
Any awkward moments?
No, he is obviously a man who is very socially comfortable and who has been brought up to navigate through them.
Would you introduce him to your colleagues?
It would certainly introduce a lot of my work colleagues to a different kind of life, one we don’t have many encounters with.
And what about your friends?
Most of them would find him entertaining, but possibly also quite frustrating. I suspect the arguments would get quite heated.
Why should people vote for him?
I am not sure I can think of a positive answer to that question.
Why shouldn’t they vote for him?
Well, if you’re thinking of your local MP as a representative of you, who understands your problems, I don’t think there is anything in his life experience or philosophy that answers the problems of 99% of the British population.
Describe his politics in three words:
I am going to go with one phrase rather than three words: for the 1%, for the finance sector, not attached to reality.
What do you think he made of you?
Because he is a very polite man, it is hard to tell.
Would you form a coalition?
No.
If you could change one thing about the date, what would it be?
It would have been good to meet somewhere a bit more real, such as in a working man’s cafe. A £1 cup of stewed tea might have been a new experience for him.
Marks out of 10?
5. He is what he is and he’s honest about that.
Would you meet again?
I very much hope we meet again in the Commons when I am MP for Holborn and St Pancras. I would expect there would be some issues – perhaps some forms of supportive agriculture – we could vote the same way on. You can find points of agreement with nearly everybody on some issue. I am not sure that we identified a particular bill, and I very much disagree with his filibustering on sustainable agriculture. But I am sure there would be something.
Jacob on Natalie
First impressions?
Natalie is a highly intelligent person. Very capable. I knew of her as an effective campaigner, and she absolutely lived up to expectations. Her views diverge with mine somewhat.
What did you talk about?
We started off with localism and moved on to agriculture and energy. There is a difference in priorities.
What did you agree on?
Localism: we want to get powers as far down the chain as possible, and we agreed on the importance of agriculture, although we would go about it in very different ways.
What did you disagree on?
The priority we give to people’s standard of living against the environment. My priority is individuals in my constituency who want to be able to heat their homes and feed themselves as cheaply as possible. Natalie would prefer to put the environment and carbon emissions at a higher priority than that. The Green party admits that standards of living would not rise and the economy would not grow if their policies were followed, so it’s not as if they’re trying to pretend. The thing I like about the Green party is that it is very honest about what it would do, and that makes for a good political argument.
Any awkward moments?
No, it was a friendly conversation between two people who knew they weren’t going to agree and therefore it was more of a pleasant surprise when we did, rather than a shock when we didn’t.
Why should people vote for her?
The electorate should vote for her if they believe that we are on the cusp of an environmental catastrophe that will be solved only by a significant reduction in our standard of living.
Why shouldn’t they vote for her?
Because the economic policy of the Green party would be ruinous for the nation. We would face a serious governmental financial crisis within a pretty short order.
Would you introduce her to your colleagues?
Happily. It’s great discussing things with people who do agree with you, and that’s a very nice way of spending an evening; but actually, it’s important to discuss things with people who not only strongly believe in opposing ideas, but also have the arguments lined up for what they believe in – and then to see if, by the end of it, you think they are right. Politicians get into a lot of trouble for U-turns, but actually a U-turn is a sign of a subtle mind, and we ought to be more open to people changing their minds. Having said that, nothing in the discussion has changed my mind.
Would you introduce her to your friends?
I’d be delighted to. Not only is she intelligent, but she is also charming, friendly and not instinctively hostile to a Tory, which is very reassuring.
Describe her politics in three words:
Old-style socialism.
What do you think she made of you?
No idea. To see oneself as others see one is a great gift, but not one I necessarily have.
Would you form a coalition?
I think it would be impossible for Conservatives to form a coalition with the Greens. Their economic policy is so far away from ours. The Greens are the natural allies of the Labour party, in the way that Ukip are the natural allies of the Conservatives: the Greens are essentially part of the broadly left vote and Ukip part of the broadly Conservative vote.
The coalition with the Lib Dems was possible because the Lib Dems have two strains: the classic liberal strain, which is essentially Peelite and quite conservative, and the Social Democrat strain, which is closer to Labour; so they could emphasise one bit of their personality to do a deal with either side. The Greens don’t have a strand that is any way small-c conservative.
If you could change one thing about the date, what would it be?
I might have had another coffee.
Marks out of 10?
10. She would be a formidable political opponent, and we need to make sure we’ve got our arguments at the ready, not to be overrun by greenery.
Would you meet again?
I would be delighted to. Before I got into parliament, I had a vision of people from having seen them on television – I expected that meeting them would be more difficult. I thought they would not necessarily want to engage with a Conservative, but I’ve found that there is a great deal of friendly interchange between people from different parties.
• Interviews by Abigail Radnor.
