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The Two Matts

The Two Matts
Author: The New World
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Join The New World's Matt Kelly and Matt d'Ancona plus occasional guests for weekly chat on politics and media with a side of cultural stuff. A podcast in the spirit of the award-winning New World newspaper - irreverent, witty, surprising, argumentative ... and annoying all the right people.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
559 Episodes
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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.ukOFFER: 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.
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 Bloomberg’s Parmy Olson - author of Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the race that will change the world. Parmy leads us through the development of Artificial Intelligence, the extraordinary story of the two men leading the race towards AGI (don’t worry, all will be explained), and the enormous opportunities and challenges this new technology brings. If you find yourself wondering what the fuss is all about, and why AI should terrify you … or not, then this is the podcast for you. 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, Matthew d'Ancona and I again respond to your queries. After this week’s exclusive interview with Gary Lineker on Gaza, the BBC and podcasting we discuss whether sport - and sports personalities - can ever be truly apolitical. Also, has political podcasting now become more influential than newspapers?Plus, we talk about whether cancel culture has peaked and what advice we’d offer 16 and 17-year-olds before voting for the first time. Finally, as Harry Frankfurt’s classic philosophical book, On Bullshit, is being republished to mark its 20th anniversary, we ask whether there is more bullshit around today than there was in 2005.Have a question to stump the two Matts? Email us now at the2matts@thenewworld.co.ukOFFER: 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 New World contributing editor Sonia Sodha to understand the bitter and consequential tribunal taking place in Fife - as nurse Sandie Peggie takes on the NHS over her treatment in the aftermath of a dispute over women’s rights in the workplace. Before that, the Matts discuss Starmer’s handling of the UK’s sort-of recognition of a Palestinian state. Has it helped or hindered the cause of starving children in Gaza?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.
Gary Lineker has given his first interview since leaving the BBC to The New World. The Two Matts reflect on the wide range of issues he touches on - not least his sacking from the BBC and accusations of antisemitism he faced. “I’m not antisemitic,” he says. “I’m anti the killing of children.” Also this week - how good were Oasis at Wembley (superb) and how mad was the visit of Trump to Scotland (surreal). 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 Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss whether the government and BBC are getting bolder over Israeli actions in Gaza, why Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to establish an enquiry to look into the mistakes he made over October 7 and if the 50-year privatisation experiment has failed. Plus they talk the hidden student loan crisis, the intense public shaming and job losses faced by the Astronomer CEO and head of HR and whether they called Brexit wrongOFFER: 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.
Events in Epping are spreading. The Matts take a long hard look at the influence of a new strain of far right activist and how they are emboldened by the words and posts of Nigel Farage. After that - what does the new political party led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana mean for the Labour Party and the UK’s first past the post political system? The consequences are deeper than meet the eye. 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.
Nigel Farage laid out his plans to halve crime in Britain; a combination of blithe populist (undeliverable) promises and dog-whistling lifted straight out of the MAGA playbook. The Matts pick apart the performance. But their disgust for him is shared equally with Yvette Cooper, the actual Home Secretary, whose recent contribution to fighting crime in Britain has centred exclusively on making a bunch of pro-Palestine protesters guilty of supporting a terrorist organisation. Who exactly does Palestine Action terrorise, the Matts wonder? And how does arresting an 83-year-old retired priest for waving a placard in public make the world a safer place? Is Britain facing an autocratic future? And is Labour opening the door to Farage in his bid to realise that future? These are the questions the Matts face this week. 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 Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss why it is the BBC gives Reform such disproportionate airtime, what on earth “useful” information means in connection to Grant Shapps and whether Ozempic isn’t just a wholly good medical solution to something that ruins millions of lives. They also talk about superinjunctions, whether we get the media we deserve and if they’re going to take a holiday at some point.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 explore the various extraordinary facets of the super injunction following the accidental leak of thousands of Afghans who helped Britain and now face retribution from the Taliban. In its scope, it could be the biggest single scandal of them all - the threat to transparent government, the betrayal of foreigners who supported the UK, the treatment of those foreigners when they arrive here, the Labour decision to shut down safe passage for them, the Tory decision to cover it all up. It’s a shabby, shameful mess. What does it tell us about Britain and its place in the world today? Also this week - what place does a love of Shakespeare have in this world of hot-takes and TikTok? The Matts luxuriate in a beautiful and insightful essay by the brilliant Simon Barnes in this week’s New World magazine. 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.
It’s all about the UK’s public broadcaster today - The BBC. It’s had a shocker of a week, mitigated only by Gary O’Donoghue’s spellbinding interview with Donald Trump, which the Matts discuss in the first part of today’s pod. But then things turn south. Two damning reports - one into Gregg Wallace and one into the Gaza documentary broadcast then pulled as it emerged the narrator was the son of an Hamas official - have left Director General Tim Davie’s job hanging by a thread. As Lisa Nandy calls for heads to roll, the Matts argue about where the BBC is going wrong and what the consequences are for us all. It’s a feisty one. 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 Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss whether it is time to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, the launch of Best Start and what the appeal of Oasis is.Plus there’s talk about whether politicians should have an enforced retirement age, the government's expansive use of terrorism legislation, Jake Berry’s defection to Reform and what to see at the cinema.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 discuss the options available to Starmer and Reeves given they seem determined not to raise income tax, VAT and national insurance. Could taxing the enormously wealthy be an election winner? How could the property rich, cash poor be protected? And how would the Daily Mail come up with some spurious objection to protect their proprietor’s billions? But first … has the Macron visit produced the seeds to an end to the ghastly channel boat trade in immigrant crossings? And is a Franco-British nuclear weapon pact a good thing? 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 New World contributing editor Tom Baldwin - author of Keir Starmer The Biography - for an honesty session. Where has Labour gone wrong in its poor first year and is Keir Starmer the right man to turn things around and keep Farage out of Downing Street. It’s a tough conversation but full of insight and ideas (something Labour could do with some might say). Enjoy!Pre-order the new edition of Keir Starmer The Biography hereOFFER: 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.
So finally you talk about Israel after weeks/months of ignoring what is happening in Gaza.
I look forward to your episode where you look at the funding of UK politicians by Israel and its proxies.
what the hell happened at about 44:15?
LGBTQIEU wasnt funny and you knew it. I blocked New European ages ago on Twitter for dodgy comments about our Trans friends and you 2 can f#ck off as well 🖕
Almost had an aneurism listening to this lady.
I am so pleased to discover your excellent podcast; you bring hope and humour to bleak politics. Thank you.
Please get rid of those f***** bagpipes or lower the volume! im sick of having to wrench my headphones off while I'm running 🙉🤬
The irony is that this episode is far far better in sound quality than many of its predecessors. Of course as always the content is great
New to the Podcast. Struggling to hear Steve and Mia. Audio is very quiet.
great show especially the new "Gone in 60 seconds" segment which takes apart quitters arguments and justifications in s minute or less
A funny team that uses humour to get their message across well. Unfortunately the sound quality is often poor with vast differences in volume between each voice. Try to get the post production up to the standard of the material.
Ah the new Europeans fighting back against democracy one podcast ay a time. White privilege at its peak.
Fuck "Progress".... more like Regress.
!!!