The Matts are joined by political editor James Ball whose cover story this week is an exhaustive investigation into the full extent of Paul Marshall’s bid to influence British society. The man who owns GBNews and The Spectator is also finding a broad array of influential think tanks, policy units and conferences - making him the most influential non-politician in British politics. And it’s working - James and the Matts discuss the inexorable rise of Nigel Farage … one of Marshall’s employees. Is...
Oct 16, 2025•48 min
The Matts marvel at the extraordinary day that has just passed - first in the Knesset in Jerusalem, then in Sharm Al-Sheik in Egypt - as Donald Trump’s whirlwind victory parade signals the start of what we should all pray is a lasting peace. How do we square the undoubted leap out of the catastrophe of war in Gaza with the president’s ghastly autocratic brutality at home? Should we even care how we got here … and just be grateful that we have? And what comes now in a Gaza pummelled to oblivion? ...
Oct 14, 2025•43 min
Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss whether the Gaza peace deal shows that Donald Trump, despite all his manifest failings, is actually the right man at the right time, if you now need a brown paper bag for your New World cover and who Conservative MPs could coalesce around to prevent the next leadership election reaching their members. Plus they talk Britain’s trade deal with India, whether the Princess of Wales is right to say screens are ruining family ...
Oct 12, 2025•35 min
The Matts begin with peace in the Middle East. Is it time to give Trump the Nobel? Then they turn to the outrage over a man being arrested in London for holding up his copy of The New World. Then after the break, a fascinating and troubling conversation with Joe Woof, author of this week’s New World cover story laying bare why addiction rates are soaring across the western world. You might not think you’re an addict before you listen to this pod, but by the time you’ve finished you’ll have chang...
Oct 09, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Britain has a problem. The presence within what we call our multi-cultural society of abhorrent groups with views that threaten not only our values, but our citizens. Islamists, anti-semites, fascists. What is stopping the government from isolating them and dealing with them? The Matts do what they do best - engage each other in a testing dialogue on a difficult and complicated topic. They also take stock of the last two years since the Oct 7 massacre and the subsequent catastrophe in Gaza. Is h...
Oct 07, 2025•1 hr 3 min
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....
Oct 05, 2025•40 min
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 th...
Oct 02, 2025•38 min
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 informatio...
Sep 30, 2025•35 min
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 the...
Sep 28, 2025•39 min
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 Hos...
Sep 25, 2025•1 hr 1 min
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 : ht...
Sep 23, 2025•47 min
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 ...
Sep 21, 2025•34 min
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 ...
Sep 18, 2025•1 hr 5 min
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 gain...
Sep 16, 2025•56 min
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....
Sep 14, 2025•43 min
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...
Sep 11, 2025•46 min
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 dea...
Sep 09, 2025•44 min
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 ...
Sep 07, 2025•37 min
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 t...
Sep 04, 2025•55 min
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 an...
Sep 02, 2025•55 min
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 loo...
Aug 31, 2025•36 min
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 particula...
Aug 28, 2025•52 min
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...
Aug 26, 2025•56 min
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 stra...
Aug 19, 2025•54 min
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 fas...
Aug 12, 2025•1 hr 12 min
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...
Aug 05, 2025•1 hr 11 min
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 c...
Aug 03, 2025•33 min
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. He...
Jul 31, 2025•47 min
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.thenew...
Jul 29, 2025•42 min
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 ...
Jul 27, 2025•38 min
