- 37 minutes 8 secondsThe Two Matts Q&A: Does Andy Burnham live rent-free in Farage’s head?
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 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.
11 July 2026, 11:00 pm - 44 minutes 45 secondsHave you been Touching Grass? You should be
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 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.
9 July 2026, 12:30 pm - 47 minutes 41 secondsSPECIAL: Farage fighting for his political life
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 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.
7 July 2026, 3:45 pm - 50 minutes 29 secondsThe Two Matts Q&A: Hydration Break sponsored by Powerade!*
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 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.
4 July 2026, 11:00 pm - 54 minutes 10 secondsWhy place matters so much to Andy Burnham
The Matts discuss the founding principles behind Andy Burnham’s emerging strategy for a “circuit break” in how politics works in the UK. Why is he obsessed with the idea of place? Why does it make so much sense as a corrective to the way Westminster operates? And why should people prattling on about vibes kindly give their heads a wobble? 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.
2 July 2026, 12:30 pm - 31 minutes 49 secondsThe Two Matts Q&A: Burnham’s to-do list and the shameless Brexit villains
The Matts answer listener questions including: What should be on Andy Burnham’s to-do list? How do the Brexit villains get away with it? Is Nigel Farage losing the plot? Should we criminalise climate crisis denial? Has Giorgia Meloni won us over? And why don’t we talk about video games more? 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.
27 June 2026, 11:00 pm - 46 minutes 55 secondsAndy Burnham’s first six months
The Matts bring listeners up to speed with all the inside info coming their way on what Team Burnham may have in store for Britain. Who are the people behind the scenes preparing the ground for the new government - in what is surely make or break for Labour? And what are the policies that will define this new administration? How could Andy Burnham’s sense of a politics of place come to change a nation? 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.
25 June 2026, 11:00 am - 42 minutes 24 secondsPOD SPECIAL: It’s the end of the Keir show… now what?
The Matts bring you a special edition after Keir Starmer quit as UK prime minister. These monumentally historic events only occur every 18 months or so on average these days, but all the same - Starmer’s going crystallises the profound danger liberal progressive democracy faces in the UK. What awaits Andy Burnham? And what should his big bet be? The Matts have a plan. 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.
22 June 2026, 11:00 am - 34 minutes 19 secondsThe Two Matts Q&A: Where is Burnham weak? And is America humiliated?
The Matts answer listener questions in their regular Sunday morning Q&A, including… what will prove to be Andy Burnham’s biggest vulnerability? Has Donald Trump just suffered the biggest US military loss since Vietnam? Do UK nukes count for nothing? How do we improve the quality of our politicians? Is the BBC in acute danger? And is there life out there, beyond the stars? 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.
20 June 2026, 11:00 pm - 40 minutes 29 secondsGame on… Burnham wins; now get on with it Labour
The Matts are in optimistic mood today with news of Andy Burnham’s resounding win in Makerfield. Has the Labour Party got the gumption to seize the momentum and get full square behind the one man we can objectively say has the ability to smash Reform? And what does the defeat of the sexist plumber in Makerfield mean for Nigel Farage? The Matts believe his problems are mounting. So, all in all, an extra podcast for an extra special day. 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.
19 June 2026, 11:00 am - 36 minutes 19 secondsA history of Brexit in 256 disasters
The Matts celebrate the launch of A History of Brexit in 256 Disasters, a book by Jonty Bloom with a foreword by Alastair Campbell and amazing illustrations by Martin Rowson chronicling the disastrous consequences of the 2016 referendum 10 long years ago! You can get your copy at The New World's website or on Amazon (if you must!). Also, in part two - is Canada a model for British reinvention, and what does Andy Burnham mean by The Makerfield Test? 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.
18 June 2026, 11:30 am - More Episodes? Get the App