Today on The Two Matts podcast, Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss whether Keir Starmer’s willingness to back down and listen is actually something to be admired, if the Prime Minister should take more care with his speeches and how serious Palestine Action’s protests were. Plus they talk about the extent of corruption in UK politics, just how progressive the Labour Party is, and 80-year-old Rod Stewart’s Glastonbury set.

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The Matts are joined by Jonathan Goodman, author of Invisible Rivals, a fascinating book about what really makes the world go round and its consequences for religion, politics and media. It’s a revelatory conversation that will change how you think about society. Also the tragic death of Diogo Jota and his brother, plus what the hell is going on in Number Ten? Enjoy!

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The Matts reflect on the prospect of famine in Gaza while the UK media obsesses on the antics of a rapper on a Glastonbury stage. Why is the crisis facing hundreds of thousands of children relegated to an afterthought? Why does Keir Starmer say more about Bob Vylan than the humanitarian disaster on the eastern shore of the Med?

Also: can Starmer survive the pirouettes of u-turns he is performing as the Parliamentary Labour Party rejects his welfare bill? As we approach his year anniversary in power, the Matts ask how long before we are discussing the end of the Keir show?

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The Matts again respond to your queries. They discuss whether the government’s Palestine Action decision means Just Stop Oil could now be considered terrorists, if AI could actually be the populists’ worst nightmare and the genius of David Lynch.

Plus they debate whether journalists should strive for detachment, Keir Starmer’s on-off welfare cuts and which is most cringeworthy: Mark Rutte calling Donald Trump Daddy, Trump comparing Israel and Iran to two schoolkids having a scrap in a playground or the president calling the media “scum”.

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As the international news agenda moves at a frenzied pace, back home Keir Starmer faces a crisis of his own. The Matts explore the depth of feeling from amongst his own backbenchers against his welfare bill. It’s a crisis wholly of his own making and as Reform continues to surge in the polls, it bodes badly for all of us. Also - why did Mark Rutte call Trump daddy? And what was the Matts’ greatest Glasto moment? All will be revealed! Enjoy!

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It’s been a few days of head-spinning consequence and the Matts  explore the thinking of the man at its heart - Donald Trump. They kick off with an extraordinary moment; Trump losing his cool as Israel and Iran both appear to defy his ceasefire - but then the conversation moves quickly to what this means for the Middle East, for the UK, the United Nations, for NATO, and for the future of Europe. There’s a lot of ground covered this week … buckle up.

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The Matts again respond to your queries. They discuss whether we are witnessing the early stages of a global war without anyone admitting it, if we have collectively deleted our memory of 2016 and when we started confusing billionaires with philosophers. Plus there’s talk of whether Keir Starmer should have stooped at the feet of Donald Trump, if having children is ethical and what actually defines genius.

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As missiles fly between Israel and Iran, the Matts explore the long backstory to a conflict that has the capacity to spark a truly global conflict. Why has Netanyahu chosen now to attack? What can Iranians hope for? How will Keir Starmer handle the fact he is caught between a rock and hard place. And the biggest question of all: What will Trump do now. Ok - so not even Trump knows that - but the Matts explore the options. One note of light relief - MAGA is in a mess over it. It’s a small silver lining to a dark cloud overshadowing the planet this week.

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The Matts are joined by Helen Lewis, journalist and author of The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea for a fascinating deep-dive into what it means to be a genius. Why does society worship difficult men? Who gets left out of the genius narrative? And what if collaboration, not isolation, is the real source of greatness? Enjoy!

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The Matts discuss whether the rift between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is actually far from amusing, if the US president is being insulated from the mockery being hurled at him and what is going on with the so-called Epstein files. Plus they talk about how to fix the manosphere, the way to react to Quran burnings and potential acronyms to give to Nigel Farage. Enjoy!

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