The Two Matts

Epizode

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  The Two Matts Q&A: Can’t we have welfare AND defence? 12.09.2026 55min

  The Matts answer listener questions including: why can’t we have decent welfare and a strong defence? Was Reform stung or entrapped? Why is Liz Truss still costing us so much money? Is AI really going to kill me? And why is everyone losing their minds over the Bayeux Tapestry? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to The New World and get a free copy of Paul Mason's new book Reds. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  An historic shift in UK foreign policy towards Israel. Now what? 10.09.2026 57min

  As Ed Miliband announces sanctions against illegal settlements in the West Bank, the Matts take a holistic look at what the government hopes to achieve and at what cost. Does this make British Jews less safe? Are challenges to Miliband’s level of Jewishness fair? And will this action make any difference to the chances of a two-state solution? Also - 25 years after 9/11, the Matts discuss Matt d’Ancona’s epic piece commemorating the attack and its ever-unfolding consequences. And they welcome the great Emily Maitlis to The New World family. Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to The New World and get a free copy of Paul Mason's new book Reds. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: Is Farage finished? And where are all the women? 05.09.2026 51min

  The Matts answer listener questions in this, their regular Sunday morning question and answer edition. Including; is Farage finished; what tax pledge should Burnham break; is Michael Gove stupid; how should we think about China; apart from Dante, Giotto, Thomas Aquinas, Chaucer and the Bayeux Tapesty, what’s the Middle Ages ever done for us; maintaining a dignified silence in the face of Will Self criticism; and which women authors do you admire?Produced by Ruby MitchellOFFER: Subscribe to 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.
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  REDS - the best political book of the year? With Paul Mason 03.09.2026 47min

  The Matts are joined by The New World contributing editor Paul Mason to discuss his blockbuster book Reds: A Global History Of Communism. We cover a lot of ground - from pre-historic society through the French Revolution to the USSR and finally modern day China, where the entire definition and history of Communism is being rewritten as we speak. Paul’s book has been receiving glowing reviews from outlets as diverse as the Daily Telegraph and The New World - find out why in this illuminating conversation.And if you aren’t already a subscriber to The New World, you can get a free signed copy of Reds when you sign up at thenewworld.co.uk/2matts. Enjoy!Produced by Matt Withers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: Harry and Meghan, Dolly Parton… and blockbuster books 29.08.2026 38min

  The Matts tackle listener questions in their regular Sunday morning Q&A edition, including: Is there a resurgence of homophobia? Should Harry and Meghan be welcomed back to the UK? Are we heartbroken over Dolly Parton? What does the Meta mega settlement mean? Are online comments a good thing? And what should we be reading next? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to 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.
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  Andy Burnham’s first big test is around the corner 27.08.2026 44min

  The Matts think about Andy Burnham’s first month (and a bit) in Downing Street and anticipate a period of difficulty ahead for a PM whose inclination may be to keep people happy in an age when dramatic change is required. In the second half, what does the release of Jason Arday’s autobiography tell us about attitudes towards truth in publishing?Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to 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.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: is the Kelly Plan dead? And TURN OFF YOUR BLOODY SPEAKER PHONE! 22.08.2026 45min

  The Matts answer listener questions including: Is the Kelly Plan for an early election a non-starter? Is Richard Tice a secret Labour asset? How should we respond to the huge numbers of suicides in the UK each year? And is Wetherspoons right to ban speaker phones? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to The New World for just £1 for the first month. Head to https://www.thenewworld.co.uk/2matts/You can contact Samaritans day or night, 365 days a year. Call them free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  2026: the year the climate crisis came home 18.08.2026 47min

  The Matts discuss the government’s response to the severe heat this summer in England and Wales (sorry Scotland!)… and whether this year will be a turning point in the public’s perception of urgency around the changing climate. But first, they deal with the charge they were “lily-livered” in their response to the tragic death of Jason Arday.Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to 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.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: On the death of Jason Arday 15.08.2026 24min

  The Matts answer listener questions in their regular Sunday morning episode, including the tragic death of Jason Arday, whether Nigel Farage has lost his touch, what Andy Burnham is trying to do on social media and whether the solar eclipse was all it was cracked up to be.Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to 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.
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  Andy Burnham vs Geoffrey Howe... and a side order of Jason Arday 13.08.2026 57min

  The Matts remember an astonishing letter of 45 years ago which provides stark contrast with Andy Burnham’s politics of place. Also - how the Jason Arday saga has shamed not just one academic but an entire university… and much of the liberal establishment whose instinctive rush to defend Arday is indicative of a deeper problem. Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to 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.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: Is Andy Burnham a hot dad, and eff off Gianni Infantino 01.08.2026 45min

  The Matts answer listeners' questions including: when will politicians actually face up to the climate crisis? Is Andy Burnham being creepy on social media? Has Zack Polanski’s bubble burst? Where would you start when fixing social care? Is The Odyssey really all that? And should Gianni Infantino be allowed to sell the World Cup? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to 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.
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  Burnham’s flying start... but is he also fibbing? 30.07.2026 49min

  The Matts appreciate the velocity of action in Andy Burnham’s first days as PM. And the big intention to fix social care is of enormous consequence. But it also makes them wonder if Burnham is being completely open about the possibility of an early election. Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: Subscribe to 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.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: Why tell ourselves lies about prison time? And what do we miss about the 70s? 25.07.2026 38min

  The Matts answer listener questions including: Has Andy Burnham made a mistake appointing so many loyalists? Why aren’t the courts more honest about what time prisoners will actually serve? What do the Matts miss about the 70s? Should Gianni Infantino run the United Nations? Are generation gaps a real thing? And what can you recommend to someone who has zero interest in The Odyssey? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: 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.
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  What is it about the prospect of a Reform government they don’t get? 23.07.2026 51min

  The Matts dig into the reaction to Andy Burnham’s first few days in government. Obviously the usual suspects - such as the Daily Mail and GB News - have already declared it a failure. But one column by Janan Ganesh in the Financial Times stands out as an utterly miserable misreading of the reality of where British politics is. Is the biggest problem Burnham faces a hostile right wing media, or is it liberals who don’t fully grasp the consequences of him failing? And what is required to avoid that? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: 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.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: Will Self on football and audiobook recommendations 18.07.2026 45min

  The Matts answer listeners’ questions in their regular Sunday Q&A session, including: Is Will Self right about the impact of football on our national mentality? What is the long term future of the Falklands? What should Andy Burnham’s first message to the nation be? How could Rupert Lowe skew hard right politics? How do we protect MPs? And what audiobooks do the Matts recommend for a population which finds reading books increasingly testing? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: 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.
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  It’s not coming home after all 16.07.2026 48min

  The Matts reflect on England’s World Cup tournament (and listeners from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be delighted to know it’s not a sea of self-pitying Anglophilia) and what lessons we can learn from Argentina’s late comeback about the prevailing DNA of institutions.Also - what should we expect from Andy Burnham as he comes into power? First as Labour leader and then, on Monday, as PM. No, he won’t have the artificial boost of a World Cup win to provide him with national momentum, but perhaps that’s no bad thing as he wrestles with the stark reality of a Britain stuck in a rut. Finally, following the horrific murder of Ann Widdecombe, is it time for political figures in the UK to have personal security as standard?Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: 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.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: Does Andy Burnham live rent-free in Farage’s head? 11.07.2026 37min

  The Matts answer listeners' questions including: Is the Andy Burnham effect already kicking in? Should Congress give Donald Trump the red card? Who - apart from Count Binface - should take on Nigel Farage? How do we make the BBC great again? Is Elon Musk more Homer Simpson than Homer’s Odyssey? And what books do the Matts recommend for a summer holiday? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: 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.
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  Have you been Touching Grass? You should be 09.07.2026 44min

  The Matts are joined by James Ball and Lucy Reade, hosts of The New World’s new podcast Touching Grass - the internet culture podcast. If you like The Two Matts, you’ll love this. We’ll let Lucy and James explain all. And the four of us also reflect on a bizarre 72 hours in the life of Nigel Farage. Has he completely lost it? Did the main parties do the right thing in letting him twist in the wind - alone apart from the company of a man with a bin on his head? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: 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.
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  SPECIAL: Farage fighting for his political life 07.07.2026 47min

  The Matts react to the simply extraordinary speech Nigel Farage made today - quitting his Clacton seat in order to fight a by-election to “let the people decide” his political future. What is going on in his head? What precipitated this crisis? How should Andy Burnham react? Is Farage having a breakdown or is this some masterstroke of populism? And how could a World Cup win for England affect British politics in this period of peak instability? Enjoy!Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: 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.
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  The Two Matts Q&A: Hydration Break sponsored by Powerade!* 04.07.2026 50min

  The Matts get stuck into listener questions including: should England get a new capital city? Is Andy Burnham chippy? Why isn’t Nigel Farage paying tax on his £5 million gift? How do we promote the humanities? How do we fix universities? And what do the Matts think of FIFA’s hydration breaks and will they ever come to the Premier League? Enjoy! *This podcast is NOT sponsored by Powerade, which - in the opinion of the Matts - tastes rank.Produced by Matt WithersOFFER: 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.