The Two Matts

The New World

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.

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679 episodes
Updated Saturday

Episodes679

Newest first

June 6 · 40 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Will Starmer survive, and has the Pope got it right on AI?
The Matts answer listeners’ questions in their weekly Q&A session, including: Is Kemi Badenoch now the best chance of beating Nigel Farage; can Keir Starmer actually see off this slow-moving coup; should Palantir be kicked out of the NHS; what is Michael Grade thinking when he defends GB News; has Pope Leo’s encyclical made sense of AI… and humanity; and if England win the World Cup, will it really count? Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
June 3 · 38 min
Nigel Farage gaslights the nation
The Matts discuss the dreadful murder of Henry Nowak and the ensuing political reaction. In particular, they examine Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s apparent strategy to leverage the murder for maximum political advantage - seeking exactly the division and hatred Henry’s grieving father has warned against. This is a taste of what to expect for the next three years as Farage seeks power. And a dark warning for the kind of Britain he would preside over if ever elected. Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 30 · 38 min
The Two Matts Q&A: What hope for the next generation and how does Farage get away with it?
The Matts answer listener questions including: how can we change the system so our young people thrive; has reality TV gone too far; is Elon Musk a legend after all; why does anyone give a damn about bond markets; how does Nigel Farage get away with it; and what did the Victorians know that we seem to have forgotten? Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 23 · 41 min
The Two Matts Q&A: A media scandal and a dementia hero
The Matts answer listeners' questions including: will the smear against Misan Harriman work; what will it take to get the UK back in the EU; should the Tories defer to Reform in the Makerfield by-election; and why does Eurovision hate the UK so much? Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 21 · 43 min
Britain is failing the next generation. With Peter Hyman and Shuab Gamote
The Matts are joined by Peter Hyman and Shuab Gamote on the day they launch their incredibly impactful, important and moving report into the plight of one million NEETs in Britain - that’s young people Not in Education, Employment or Training. It’s a remarkable piece of work; a total eye-opener into a generational crisis which urgently needs a solution. The personal stories Peter and Shuab encounter are truly remarkable - and their conclusions are a clarion call for radical change to a trajectory which shames this nation. Download the report here and subscribe to The New World in time for their cover story next week here Produced by Matt Withers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 19 · 33 min
SPECIAL with Misan Harriman: Under attack from the UK’s right wing press
The Matts speak with Misan Harriman, the chair of Britain’s largest arts and culture institution, the Southbank Centre. Misan has been under persistent attack from much of the UK’s right wing media - all for something he didn’t say. It’s an extraordinary and ugly case study in how the press in Britain work. But, perhaps, in Misan Harriman they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Enjoy the podcast - but prepare to have your blood boil. Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 16 · 42 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Farage and the five million plus Palestine Action trial scandal
The Matts answer listeners’ questions including: where is the outrage over Nigel Farage’s ethical void; why do people who think they were sold a pup on Brexit now vote for the puppy salesman; should the entire cabinet now resign; what is China doing right; why are the Palestine Action 24 being sentenced as terrorists; and can the Matts suggest a short list of cultural destinations for a very special birthday celebration? Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 15 · 44 min
SPECIAL EDITION: The most consequential by-election ever…
The Matts consider just how much is at stake in the Makerfield by-election, assuming Andy Burnham is allowed to stand. Who will Reform put up against him (we have one idea) and what will Zack Polanski’s move be? Take a chunk of Burnham’s vote or sit it out? And how will Keir Starmer play his cards? If you want to hear two pundits try to work out what the hell any of this will add up to… you’ve come to the right place. Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 14 · 47 min
AND... THEY’RE OFF!
Join the Matts as they discuss the omnishambles in Downing Street. Exciting times as they receive the breaking news that Wes Streeting has resigned and the contest to be the next PM is afoot. Who now holds the upper hand? Matt K has surveyed his most influential contacts on who will be PM by Christmas - their answer may surprise you. Certainly, Matt D disagrees. Either way - enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 9 · 30 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Starmer timetable, a Telegraph smear and love for David Attenborough
The Matts answer listeners' questions, including the optimal timetable for a Starmer handover; whether Andy Burnham is trustworthy enough to be PM; if Banksy modelled his statue on Nigel Farage; how you can criticise Israel and avoid accusations of anti-semitism and why the Telegraph is smearing the chair of the Southbank Centre; whether we should be terrified of hantavirus; and, apart from revolutionising telly, introducing billions of us to the natural world and raising awareness of the climate crisis, what David Attenborough has ever done for us. Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 8 · 40 min
Election Special: Who will save Britain from Reform now?
The Matts reflect on a terrible day for both Labour and the Tories and ask what it is going to take to keep Nigel Farage from Downing Street. Three years ago they were mocked for suggesting Nigel Farage could be PM. Now he’s even money favourite to win the most seats at the next general election. What does this surge tell us about Keir Starmer and how Labour need to act if it stands a chance of mounting a serious challenge to a pocket-lining populist like Farage? Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 7 · 46 min
Special: Exploring the Ghosts of Iron Mountain with Phil Tinline
The Matts sit down with Phil Tinline to discuss his book The Ghosts of Iron Mountain - genuinely one of the most fascinating and consequential stories of our age. Phil tells how a 1967 hoax report into the desirability (or lack of it) of peace in America triggered a culture of conspiracy and paranoia which not only infects American politics today, but sometimes dictates it to a quite surreal degree. It’s a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation... enjoy! And once you’ve listened to the pod, do get Phil’s book The Ghosts of Iron Mountain in paperback, out today! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
May 2 · 29 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Kings good, zoos bad
The Matts answer listeners' questions, including whether or not the UK should use the King more; whether we bash Starmer too much; if zoos really are the front line of conservation; and what is the most astonishing object the Matts have beheld? Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
April 29 · 59 min
The Starmer Conundrum… with special guest Tom Baldwin
A special episode of the podcast today with real depth of thinking on where Keir Starmer has gone wrong… and why right now is NOT the right time to replace him. Tom Baldwin is the journalist who knows Starmer best. He’s studied him at close range for years. He’s still very much got the inside track on how he’s thinking. In a totally candid conversation, Tom talks to Matt Kelly about the core of Starmer’s problems as PM, what has gone wrong in Downing Street and what the next two years of government look like. It’s frank, honest and insightful. And, we hope, it’s scrupulously fair to this embattled PM. Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
April 28 · 33 min
“A KNIFE THROUGH MY SOUL"... pod special on Morgan McSweeney
Hot from the two-and-a-half hours of select committee evidence, the Matts digest the evidence of Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and his role in the Peter Mandelson affair. It was engrossing testimony - giving a rare insight into how this Labour government operates (and which probably explains why they are in a state of permacrisis). In part two the Matts play out a few scenarios on the assumption that Labour lose big in the local elections next week… and there are reasons to be hopeful. Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
April 25 · 44 min
The Two Matts Q&A: How to pay for the NHS and will robots rule?
The Matts answer listeners' questions including when Starmer should go; why we don’t vet our politicians; how to fund the NHS; why the news is relentlessly grim; whether banning social media for children is a good thing; and are The Matts looking forward to having robots provide unmentionable services to them in their dotage? Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
April 23 · 1 hr 3 min
Should he stay or should he go now?
Indecision’s bugging the Two Matts… should Keir Starmer stay or should he go? If he stays there will be trouble. But if he goes it will be double. What is the right timing for a deeply disappointing premiership to end? It’s a clash of considerations - what’s right for the country, what would a successor look like, how do we get out of the cycle of endlessly dumping PMs? No easy answers but a difficult and nuanced debate about the mess we’re in. Also: why are the King and Queen not meeting the Jeffrey Epstein survivors in the States? The Matts have strong views. Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.
April 20 · 51 min
Is a brave new world possible? With John Kampfner
Journalist and author John Kampfner joins the Matts to discuss his stunning new book Braver New World - a global travelogue of bold solutions to some of the world’s thorniest problems. Over three years of globetrotting to see for himself what can be done has given John a sense of belief in the future… but with some important caveats. So if you’re feeling pessimistic about the future, tune in and get a dose of realistic optimism that things can get better… but only with the right spirit and culture of political risk. Enjoy! And PS… new subscribers to The New World get a signed hardback copy of Braver New World while stocks last. Go to www.thenewworld.co.uk/2Matts now! Produced by Matt Withers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 18 · 40 min
The Two Matts Q&A: The fall of Orbán, Corbyn and Kanye West
The Matts tackle listeners' questions, including how positive should we be about the fall of Orbán, why is Corbyn polling zero percent, is the collapse of the Wireless Festival a good thing, would they welcome Nicole Kidman at their deathbed… and what opinions do they hold which would alienate the most Two Matts listeners? Produced by Matt Withers 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.
April 16 · 43 min
A New Hope from Hungary
The Matts assess Péter Magyar’s spectacular ousting of Viktor Orbán in Hungary and what it means for the fight against right-wing populism worldwide. It’s an encouraging moment but no time for complacency. In part two, they catch up with events in Iran and the deepening humiliation being visited upon Donald Trump as his strategy-free war continues. Enjoy! Produced by Matt Withers 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.