Events in Epping are spreading. The Matts take a long hard look at the influence of a new strain of far right activist and how they are emboldened by the words and posts of Nigel Farage. After that - what does the new political party led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana mean for the Labour Party and the UK’s first past the post political system? The consequences are deeper than meet the eye. Enjoy!

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Nigel Farage laid out his plans to halve crime in Britain; a combination of blithe populist (undeliverable) promises and dog-whistling lifted straight out of the MAGA playbook. The Matts pick apart the performance. But their disgust for him is shared equally with Yvette Cooper, the actual Home Secretary, whose recent contribution to fighting crime in Britain has centred exclusively on making a bunch of pro-Palestine protesters guilty of supporting a terrorist organisation. Who exactly does Palestine Action terrorise, the Matts wonder? And how does arresting an 83-year-old retired priest for waving a placard in public make the world a safer place? Is Britain facing an autocratic future? And is Labour opening the door to Farage in his bid to realise that future? These are the questions the Matts face this week. Enjoy!

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Today on The Two Matts podcast Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss why it is the BBC gives Reform such disproportionate airtime, what on earth “useful” information means in connection to Grant Shapps and whether Ozempic isn’t just a wholly good medical solution to something that ruins millions of lives. They also talk about superinjunctions, whether we get the media we deserve and if they’re going to take a holiday at some point.

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The Matts explore the various extraordinary facets of the super injunction following the accidental leak of thousands of Afghans who helped Britain and now face retribution from the Taliban. In its scope, it could be the biggest single scandal of them all - the threat to transparent government, the betrayal of foreigners who supported the UK, the treatment of those foreigners when they arrive here, the Labour decision to shut down safe passage for them, the Tory decision to cover it all up. It’s a shabby, shameful mess. What does it tell us about Britain and its place in the world today? Also this week - what place does a love of Shakespeare have in this world of hot-takes and TikTok? The Matts luxuriate in a beautiful and insightful essay by the brilliant Simon Barnes in this week’s New World magazine. Enjoy!

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It’s all about the UK’s public broadcaster today - The BBC. It’s had a shocker of a week, mitigated only by Gary O’Donoghue’s spellbinding interview with Donald Trump, which the Matts discuss in the first part of today’s pod. But then things turn south. Two damning reports - one into Gregg Wallace and one into the Gaza documentary broadcast then pulled as it emerged the narrator was the son of an Hamas official - have left Director General Tim Davie’s job hanging by a thread. As Lisa Nandy calls for heads to roll, the Matts argue about where the BBC is going wrong and what the consequences are for us all. It’s a feisty one. Enjoy.

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Today on The Two Matts podcast Matthew d'Ancona and Matt Kelly again respond to your queries. They discuss whether it is time to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, the launch of Best Start and what the appeal of Oasis is.

Plus there’s talk about whether politicians should have an enforced retirement age, the government's expansive use of terrorism legislation, Jake Berry’s defection to Reform and what to see at the cinema.

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The Matts discuss the options available to Starmer and Reeves given they seem determined not to raise income tax, VAT and national insurance. Could taxing the enormously wealthy be an election winner? How could the property rich, cash poor be protected? And how would the Daily Mail come up with some spurious objection to protect their proprietor’s billions? But first … has the Macron visit produced the seeds to an end to the ghastly channel boat trade in immigrant crossings? And is a Franco-British nuclear weapon pact a good thing? Enjoy!

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The Matts are joined by New World contributing editor Tom Baldwin - author of Keir Starmer The Biography - for an honesty session. Where has Labour gone wrong in its poor first year and is Keir Starmer the right man to turn things around and keep Farage out of Downing Street. It’s a tough conversation but full of insight and ideas (something Labour could do with some might say). Enjoy!

Pre-order the new edition of Keir Starmer The Biography here

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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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