Dining across the divide: ‘Tariffs are the one thing I agree with Donald Trump on’

John, 41, an automotive engineer who sometimes votes Green or Lib Dem and describes himself as a hardcore raver, and Jeremy, 54, who works for a charity and normally votes Lib Dem, met for dinner at Hicks Bar in St Austell. Jeremy had a chicken and pistachio terrine with piccalilli followed by Mexican braised beef with basmati rice, while John started with pitta and hummus; Jeremy was tempted by the fish and chips and cast envious looks.

They found a lot of common ground on Cornwall’s problems: high house prices driven by retirees, low wages and limited opportunities that push younger go-getters away. Both wanted more local control, but John framed that around Cornish national identity and practical needs such as sparse population and poor public transport, while Jeremy preferred devolution as a functional principle rather than nationhood.

On cultural language, they acknowledged the pitfalls of terminology.

United Kingdom, St Austell, Cornwall

cornwall, st austell, devolution, cornish identity, house prices, retirees, low wages, public transport, tariffs, donald trump