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

February 12 · 49 min
Re: Starmer - a little humble pie, a lot of conviction
The Matts reflect on the last week, and address their own fallibilities (and thank you, dear listeners, for pointing them out!). But the argument around Keir Starmer’s premiership remains solid. Also - is the Royal Family doing enough to bring the wrong ‘un formerly known as Prince Andrew to justice? 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.
February 9 · 39 min
Face it, Keir, it’s over. But you could still save the nation
The Matts digest the events of the past 24 hours. Will Morgan McSweeney’s departure delay or hasten the existential crisis facing Keir Starmer? Does Starmer’s plea bargain over Peter Mandelson’s appointment wash? How could he take a bold personal decision and salvage his legacy? And of all the problematic contenders circling overhead, who could achieve mission barely-possible: to keep Nigel Farage out of Downing Street? It’s a special bonus edition of the podcast today. 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.
February 8 · 32 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Mandelson rage, arrest Andrew Windsor and Zack Polanski on drugs
The Matts answer listeners' questions including: why has this Peter Mandelson scandal provoked such enormous fury, why is not-Prince Andrew still at large, can Zack Polanski be trusted, is the House of Lords really a threat to democracy and what is the best protest song ever? 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.
February 5 · 45 min
This is the end for Keir Starmer
The Matts assess the last 24 hours and reach an inescapable conclusion: Keir Starmer will not survive the Mandelson affair. He may limp on for weeks, even months. But the damage of this specific event has ignited such a rage within and without the Labour Party that his departure as prime minister feels more than likely - it feels both inevitable and necessary. If Starmer and his government were strong and making headway in the nation, this scandal would be entirely survivable. But they’re not. 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.
February 3 · 42 min
The Mandelson affair destroys our delusions about power
Peter Mandelson’s disgrace, writ large in the latest dump of Jeffrey Epstein files, is the gravest challenge to the credibility of the British establishment in decades. And how Keir Starmer reacts to it in the next 24 hours may well come to determine his future as PM. The degree of Mandelson’s betrayal of both his colleagues and country exposes just how open to abuse our society is by a network of immoral actors. Who is pulling the strings? And to what aim? Today, the Matts attempt to understand the scope of what is increasingly looking like the single biggest political scandal of our lifetimes. 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.
February 1 · 1 hr
The Two Matts Q&A: The Shamima Begum row - Round 2
The Matts respond to listeners’ reaction to their debate on the future of Shamima Begum - and, if anything, their respective positions have hardened. Get set for some fireworks. Also - was Keir Starmer weak in blocking Andy Burnham, is the UK falling apart, did the Tories cross a line in slurring Suella Braverman… and who will pick up the biggest Oscar prizes? It’s a rumbustious episode! 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.
January 29 · 49 min
What does Trump’s Minnesota retreat add up to?
The situation in Minnesota has brought extraordinary political turmoil to the Oval Office. As Donald Trump continues his manic month of January - from Venezuela to Davos, Greenland to Iran - what does this domestic crisis mean for his personal position as president and the MAGA movement in general? The Matts analyse what is an unprecedented situation in US politics. Also - a good week for Keir Starmer? The Matts look forward to visa-free travel in China and put the PM’s trip in a broader global and domestic context. 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.
January 26 · 1 hr 7 min
Andy Burnham revisited
We thought you might enjoy relistening to an in-depth conversation we had last year with the man of the moment, Andy Burnham - mayor of Greater Manchester, former cabinet minister and, of course, a man who's had his ambition to run as an MP squashed by the Labour NEC under the direction of Keir Starmer because, many believe, Burnham is seen as a challenger to the leadership. So we looked back at the interview we did with Andy last year and so much of what he talks about - about power beyond Westminster, about Labour's current and future trajectory and what politics is like outside of the bubble have not only not gone away, they have become even more painfully relevant. So, if you missed this first time, it's well worth a listen. 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.
January 25 · 40 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Was Blair right to join Trump’s Board of Peace… and should Shamima Begum be allowed back to the UK?
The Matts answer your questions, including on Trump and Greenland, Blair and the Board of Peace, whether the Home Office is right to keep Shamima Begun out of the UK and, of course, the really big question of the week: who is Team Brooklyn and who is Team Posh and Becks? All of human life is here! 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.
January 22 · 45 min
Trump Complacency Disorder abounds. Not here.
The Matts pick apart the most astonishing events of the past 48 hours and take an objective look at what it means. They are appalled at the complacency of many in the media in reporting what is a shakedown happening in real time. And they delight in the clear-eyed articulation of this new world order as framed by Mark Carney. Other leaders? Not 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.
January 19 · 34 min
Special edition with Paul Mason: Decoding Trump’s madness
The last 72 hours have been extraordinary and historic. And we still don’t have a clue what it all adds up to. But there are things we now know. Trump is on a collision course with European nations over the future of Greenland and Keir Starmer is stuck in the middle of an angry EU and a desire to placate the giant orange man baby. Joining the Matts this evening to argue through the meaning of these fast-moving events is New World contributing editor Paul Mason. 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.
January 18 · 26 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Is Nato dead and why was 2016 actually a great year to be alive?
The Matts answer your questions, including what would happen if Nato collapsed, is there hope for Iran, how can we fix Britain’s sh*tty water companies, was 2016 a year to feel nostalgic about and did the Matts get it right with their comments about votes for the old? 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.
January 15 · 1 hr 7 min
Saul Klein: Britain can succeed - but a lot must change
Saul Klein is one of the UK’s top venture capitalists - he’s helped build some extraordinary businesses and he understands, as few do, just how our capitalist society really functions... or doesn’t. He describes himself as a professional optimist and has a fascinating, wide-ranging narrative entwining European history, the negative consequences of Silicon Valley’s dominance in tech, Britain’s real place in the world based on the actual data and not media negativity… and where a new embrace of British values can lead to the growth our economy so desperately needs. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 11 · 36 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Is Nato dead? Is Marty Supreme any good? And should old people vote?
The Matts answer your questions. including Trump’s kleptocracy, Laila Cunningham’s chances of becoming mayor of London, why The New World is still on X, an upper limit on the voting age, how good Timothée Chalamet’s blockbuster ping pong movie Marty Supreme is and what chance there is of a special edition of The New World commemorating the forthcoming 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 8 · 46 min
The new world order is revealing itself
The Matts pick apart the extraordinary events of this week and make sense* of what they mean for life on planet Earth in the second quarter of the 21st century. What is Trump up to? How can Europe react to a threat from a NATO member state? What is the future of Greenland? How is it connected to a future territorial dispute in Siberia? And what straight line can be drawn from the horrific murder of a 37-year-old woman on the streets of Minnesota and the abduction of the Venezuelan president? 2026 has started off in remarkable fashion … and it looks like continuing this way for the foreseeable. Enjoy. *Sense isn’t really the right word. It’s more like making a (possibly futile) effort to divine some sort of logic in a wild pattern of behaviour from the most powerful man on the planet. You’ll just have to bear with us. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 23, 2025 · 36 min
The Matts’ cultural highlights of the year
2025 may have been an absolute skip fire for political progress but it was a cracker for culture. The Matts round off the year with their highlights - but what will be their joint top moment of 2025? Thank you for listening this year - the Matts return early January and wish all listeners a fabulous festive season and happy New Year! Head to nakedwines.co.uk/matts to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. 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.
Dec 16, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min
When are we going to take anti-semitism seriously (and actually do something about it?)
The Matts explore the issues thrown up by the dreadful massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach this week. When is a protest actually an act of violence? Why do we rush to talk of securing synagogues from attack rather than address the root problem of those attacks? How will our politicians get ahead of what is obviously a cycle of anti-Semitic violence against Jewish communities around the world that will be repeated over and over until something fundamental shifts? Also this week - what does Trump’s reaction to the murder of Rob and Michelle Reiner tell us about the state of US politics … and does it, ultimately, open up a possible escape from the madness? Enjoy! Head to nakedwines.co.uk/matts to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. 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.
Dec 14, 2025 · 40 min
The Two Matts Q&A: Should we hand US authorities our social media history?
Matthew d’Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss the Trump administration’s demand for visitors to hand over five years’ worth of social media history, why political manifestos have got so long and whether Piers Morgan was right to give such lengthy exposure to Nick Fuertes. Plus they talk about whether the UK should be able to exert conditions on a sovereign state like Argentina when it comes to defence procurement, what’s going on with the price of beef and which magazines they subscribe to. Enjoy! Head to nakedwines.co.uk/matts to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. 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.
Dec 11, 2025 · 38 min
Fludemic, Zack Polanski, and a (rare) big-up to Keir
The Matts wonder what we’ve learned since Covid … and if the reaction to the current flu outbreak is anything to go by, the answer is not much. The conversation segways into Zack Polanski and political energy. Then in part two, both Matts are united - for once - in praise for Keir Starmer’s attempt to reinterpret the European Convention on Human Rights to deliver swift action on asylum seekers who break our laws. Enjoy! Head to nakedwines.co.uk/matts to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. 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.
Dec 9, 2025 · 1 hr 13 min
In defence of a new Europe - with Paul Mason
The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy document released this week is an astonishing affront to what many of us believe to be the liberal world order. The Matts are joined by New World contributing editor and columnist Paul Mason to understand just how far reaching its consequences are - and how Europe must find new purpose if it is to resist it. Where is the UK’s place in that new Europe? And sweat must this Labour government do to avoid chronic declinism? It’s an engrossing conversation that sheds light on the predicament we are in - and how to escape it. Enjoy! Head to nakedwines.co.uk/matts to get a £30 voucher and 6 top-rated wines from our sponsor Naked Wines for £39.99, delivery included. 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.