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3 days ago
3
David, 82, Chesterfield
Occupation Retired policeman/journalist/consultant
Voting record Over the years that he’s been voting, has probably cast as many for one main party as the other. He’s even occasionally voted Lib Dem
Amuse bouche Received nine commendations for his police work, including for an act that led to the recovery of the Union-Castle Line bullion
Charlie, 23, Sheffield
Occupation Final-year medical student
Voting record Labour in 2019, Green in 2024; he’s now a Green party member
Amuse bouche Charlie has a signed photo of Tony Blair; he had to write a letter to a celebrity when he was five years old, and that was the only person he could think of
For starters
Charlie He was very friendly, looked very good for 82. Nice man.
David He was the spitting double of a young reporter I met on the Bridport News, just as I started in journalism. Except he didn’t have body piercings, as Charlie did. Tall, thin and dark. I took a liking to him straight away.
Charlie I had a chickpea curry, that was nice.
David I thought, if I have the sea bass, I’ll have to concentrate on it, so I just went for the fish and chips.
The big beef
David Charlie wanted to close all prisons. And, of course, being ex-police, once a copper always a copper.
Charlie I did part of my medical training working in a prison, in healthcare, and it opened my eyes to the conditions people live in, and the cycles people are in. That really gave me the impression that they weren’t helping anyone. I think prison is not effective and we should be working towards a better way.
David I married a lady who became a senior crown prosecutor. She had some serious wrong ’uns in court as well. We’d discuss it. It meant there was a background to my thinking, I wasn’t just coming at it from nowhere. You cannot shut prisons, is my view. But, yes, there are reasons to consider the way that prisons work, the reason why the population is at its highest ever and the highest in Europe.
Charlie He was quite keen on the idea of punishing people for their crimes. It’s not something I really believe in. I understand the instinct, but I don’t think it’s beneficial; I’d always be thinking in terms of rehabilitation. The evidence shows that prisons increase rates of reoffending. Good stuff happens in prison – education, behavioural programmes – but it doesn’t only have to happen there.
David He talked about going into the prison where Rose West is, and we agreed she couldn’t be let out. But we also agreed there were a huge number of people who shouldn’t be there.
Sharing plate
Charlie He changed my mind about the impact of visible policing – bobbies on the beat, people being able to see the police. I’d not really thought about it, and I’d be instinctively against it, but I can see how it would make people feel safe, having talked to him.
David I live now in a small development on a former hospital site in an old mining village. The community has been shredded by new kinds of division. The behaviour of young people round here wouldn’t have been tolerated when I was a policeman. I tried to get a Neighbourhood Watch going: out of 80 households, only 21 responded.
For afters
David Charlie would talk about neurodivergence as being “in special need”. I wouldn’t. I can imagine that would be laughed at in the BBC of today. I’ve done things for myself and I’ve not called on others to help me.
Charlie He had a feeling that there are many people in society who claim to be disabled for the purposes of benefits. I definitely disagree – we’re recognising more people’s mental illnesses, and that’s a good thing, even though treatment isn’t where it should be for most people. I see a lot of people in my work who are really unwell and don’t get much support at all.
Takeaways
Charlie He’s an interesting guy and I did enjoy talking to him. He gave me a lift to the station, which was kind.
David I really did like him. I’d be thrilled if we kept up an email friendship. It was lovely to see someone in the younger generation who you could actually believe, trust, and use as an illustration for a more optimistic view of the future.
Additional reporting: Kitty Drake
