The Two Matts

Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss what the case is for Keir Starmer leading Labour into the next general election, whether we should be preparing for authoritarianism in the UK and if the sight of a Metropolitan police officer makes them feel safe or not. Plus they talk about the dark side of David Bowie, Alastair Campbell’s dismissal of Curtis Yarvin and what gives them inspiration in dark times. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts digest the disgusting tale of greed and corruption surrounding the Medpro scandal. Matt K reveals what happened when (soon to be ex) Baroness Mone of Mayfair threatened to sue him and Matt D hopes this is just stage one of a justice process that ends in criminal charges. Also - remember the Climate Crisis? It used to be quite big on the agenda but now populism is the name of the game it has slipped out of mind. What is the consequence when politicians decide to appease voters rather than serve their long term interests? Enjoy! OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New World political editor James Ball joins the podcast live from Labour Party conference in the great city of Liverpool with his verdict on Keir Starmer’s make or break speech. He had his moments, but did Starmer do enough to turn around horrific personal and party polling and set up a genuine challenge to rising tide of Reform? Enjoy! OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on The Two Matts podcast, Matt d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss whether Andy Burnham has unrealistic standards for politics and whether he is the right person to run the country. Plus, is it alarming or alarmist to fear about Tommy Robinson’s potential path to power? The Matts talk about what the real point of the UN is, if there is a case for ID cards and, following the New World’s political editor James Ball’s brilliant interview with Ed Davey, what they took away from the Lib Dem conference. Have a question to stump the two Matts? Email now at the2matts@thenewworld.co.uk. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts consider an alternative view on what is going on the President’s head. Based on an anecdote from Michael Wolff, could the answer to the chaos be much simpler than we thought? Also - as Keir Starmer prepares for his big conference week in Liverpool, is his leadership now in its sunset phase? Will Andy Burnham challenge him? And could Burnham see off Farage? It’s complicated. Enjoy. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts are joined by author and expert in extremism Cynthia Miller-Idriss to try and understand how so many young men are turning to hard-core misogyny and violence. Cynthia’s new book - Man Up - is an extraordinary insight into a world that has surged since the advent of social media and shows no signs of receding. If you want to understand how and why this behaviour is materialising - and how to defeat it - then you’re in the right place. Enjoy. Buy Man Up by Cynthia Miller-Idriss here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/man-up/cynthia-miller-idriss//9780691257549 OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss what it means to be British today, whether it’s time for patriots to be more explicit about their patriotism and why Donald Trump is so fixated on TV. Plus they talk about what Andy Burnham should do about the Labour leadership, what Nigel Farage actually believes in, if it’s time to retire left/right labels and what their favourite Robert Redford films are. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts take a deep breath and work their way through a tumultuous few days … starting with the visit of Donald Trump - is the UK becoming a vassal state? - through the unfolding aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and finally to reflections on the Tommy Robinson March in London. In the circumstances, is there a path back to a united Britain? Surprisingly - the Matts are optimistic… but above all else they are clearheaded about the challenges - and about the need to to call things for what they truly are. Be warned - this is an equivocation free zone. Enjoy! OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts are joined by author and journalist Jonathan Freedland to discuss his remarkable new book, The Traitor’s Circle. It’s a forensically-researched historical story of resistance against the Nazis from inside Germany. Written in the style of a classic whodunnit, Freedland has created a thriller that not only sheds new light on the actions of at least some Germans during the war - but also sounds a warning about the state of the world today and the indications that fascism is once more gaining ground. It’s a brilliant, engrossing conversation about a brilliant, engrossing book. Enjoy! Buy The Traitor’s Circle: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-traitors-circle/jonathan-freedland/9781399813679 OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two Matts again respond to your queries. The pair discuss whether they support Palestine Action, declining fertility and if there’s a way back for Keir Starmer. Plus they talk about Nigel Farage’s pension, whether the Greens are a serious political party and if things are better or worse than during the Cold War. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two inevitable topics dominate the Matts discussion today - first up, the murder of US conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. It’s a simply atrocious event but the reaction from many has been shameful. The Matts explain why Kirk was unusual in the MAGA organisation … and why his assassination matters so much. In the second half, the downfall of Peter Mandelson. The Matts ask why Starmer didn’t act sooner, contrasting his sacking with that of Angela Rayner, and focus on the gravity of the offence. Ultimately, is this the point at which Keir Starmer loses his grip on power? Possibly. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts get to grips with the turmoil of the last few days and use their meticulous political calculus to work out whether Keir Starmer is weaker or stronger than he was a week ago. Spoiler alert: they haven’t got a clue. But they certainly enjoy themselves finding that out. One thing they know - the absurd Palestine Action ban must be rescinded unless Starmer wants the spectacle of police arresting people from within the audience of his own conference in Liverpool. In the second half they deal with Tommy Robinson, whose march in London this week should, they agree, be taken seriously. Robinson is not as stupid as he looks and he plays an active role in furthering the poisonous nationalistic movement headed by Reform. Enjoy! OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss why Nigel Farage didn’t go back to school with the rest of the class this week, whether government ministers should be held to a higher standard than ordinary citizens and why the debate in the UK is always hyped up to the max. Plus they talk about the government’s procrastination on the infected blood inquiry, AI, whether we thank people too much and if Donald Trump is dead. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday the Matts were staunch in their defence of Angela Rayner. Then she came out and admitted she had paid too little tax on her new flat. The Matts work through the various scenarios available to her and conclude she should resign - but not for the obvious reason. Also - Nigel Farage was in Washington DC this week blowing hard about freedom of speech in the UK… at the same time as his Reform party HQ were busy banning The New World from their conference tomorrow. Hypocrite? You bet. And the Matts get into a deep, thoughtful discussion about Graham Linehan’s arrest. Enjoy! OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour’s Deputy PM Angela Rayner has been the brunt of a propaganda campaign waged relentlessly by the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph. What is it about her authentic working class credentials that these two newspapers find so threatening? The Matts have some thoughts. But first, will Keir Starmer’s government reshuffle change the trajectory his premiership seems stuck on - one of economic failure and a bizarre shadowing of Reform’s immigration agenda. The Matts spend the first half of the pod analysing the new entrants and what their arrival at Number 10 signals. Enjoy! OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew d’Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss why Tony Blair is getting involved in Donald Trump’s meetings on Gaza, whether it was a mistake for the US president to give Vladimir Putin the impression that the West is ready to welcome him back, and the case of Labour councillor Ricky Jones. Plus they talk about why Britain loves nostalgia so much, what single law or act they would pass given the opportunity, and if The Thursday Murder Club is as irritating as it looks. Have a question to stump the two Matts? Email us now at the2matts@thenewworld.co.uk OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts are shaken by the story of a 16-year-old who took his own life after pouring his heart out to ChatGPT which, his parents claim, encouraged him to act. It’s a desperate case and raises profound questions about the technology and how it will change society. The conversation focuses on the need for governments to regulate AI (despite their debilitating sloth in dealing with new tech) and the inevitable effects of AI on our job markets, education and economy. Please be aware this particular discussion includes details involving suicide and is not recommended to be listened to in the company of children. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pod is back after its summer break! The Matts analyse Reform’s anti-immigrant policies and ask themselves how might Labour counter them? Which leads them into a discussion about what is, and what isn’t racist, and how helpful is it for centrists to sneer at every St George’s flag they come across. But first, Matt K returns from the States where a few days in Seattle gave him fresh perspective on how Trump’s populism cuts through and how the US is in a very different place to the UK right now … enjoy! OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts are taking a well-deserved break, so while they recharge their batteries here’s an interview from the archive to enjoy. The Matts are joined by acclaimed author and FT journalist Edward Luce to talk about his new book Zbig— the definitive biography of Zbigniew Brzezinski, Cold War strategist and key architect of U.S. foreign policy. More than just a biography, Zbig offers sharp insights into the nature of power and America’s role in the world. If you want to understand how global strategy is shaped, this episode is essential listening. OFFER: Get The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Matts are taking a well-deserved break, so while they recharge their batteries here’s an interview from the archive to enjoy. The Matts are joined by Dutch popular historian and author Rutger Bregman to discuss his new book, Moral Ambition. How does the world change for the better? Why do so many talented people do bullsh*t jobs? And what’s wrong with a life spent worrying about reducing your carbon footprint to zero? Rutger’s a man with strong opinions on all the above and more. It’s a fascinating in-depth interview on what you - yes, YOU! - need to do to fix the planet. Enjoy! EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Get The New European for just £1 for the first month. Head to theneweuropean.co.uk/2matts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.