Matthew Stadlen

Clarkson on Farage:

“Nigel Farage rarely talks about the economy and when he does, his numbers don’t add up. He says he wants to cut taxes and increase spending by £150bn. Huh? But before anyone can question his logic, he scuttles back to his safe space and starts raging about small boats.”

London looking beautiful today all dressed up in autumn

“The Times today reveals that eight Reform UK councils have indicated that they will raise council tax after struggling to find huge cuts in public spending.”

Imagine Reform running the country.

The constructive response to the evil of an antisemitic attack is not to spread more hate and to try to drive communities apart - from whatever angle. The constructive response is to come together, all faiths and none, and call out the wickedness.

Not religiously Jewish, but went to Synagogue today out of solidarity. Hate must never win. Thinking of all those caught up in the horrific attack in Manchester.

Reform beginning to implode.

Excellent to hear Starmer calling for an equality of respect for apprenticeships and university education.

Barnstorming speech this by Starmer. Renewal, investment, hard work, togetherness, security and patriotism. 🇬🇧

20 Questions With Adam Kay

**NEW**

20 questions in 25 minutes with Adam Kay - author of This Is Going To Hurt and now A Particularly Nasty Case

open.spotify.com/episode/5hBY...

20 Questions With Neil Kinnock

**BREAKING**

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock advocates new ways of levying National Insurance on higher earners and wealthier people in Rachel Reeves’s upcoming Budget, makes the case for a form of PR and has words of encouragement for Keir Starmer.

open.spotify.com/episode/2siU...

20 Questions With Neil Kinnock

**BREAKING**

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock advocates new ways of levying National Insurance on higher earners and wealthier people in Rachel Reeves’s upcoming Budget, makes the case for a form of PR and has words of encouragement for Keir Starmer.

open.spotify.com/episode/2siU...

The cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel seems like a worrying development for free speech in America.

Donald Trump celebrating the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel is chilling.

Everyone on the right, left and centre of British politics should utterly condemn these dangerous words from Elon Musk

20 Questions With former Fun Lovin' Criminal Huey Morgan

**NEW**

Wow. This was some interview to do.

Former Fun Lovin’ Criminal, Huey Morgan, lifts the lid on his extraordinary journey from crime to stardom.

open.spotify.com/episode/2oAn...

20 Questions With Otto English

Hugely enjoyed this with @ottoenglish.bsky.social

Worth a listen.

Entertaining!

open.spotify.com/episode/5kql...

Reform UK showing themselves to be utterly unfit for government.

In the reality of a General Election (rather than the polls), there will likely be strong voter mobilisation to keep out Farage (and Tice, Anderson and Yusuf to the extent anyone has heard of them). In the meantime Starmer and Labour need to get on and deliver.

20 Questions With Steve Richards

Steve Richards - @steverichards.bsky.social - has been a political journalist for decades.

Here he brilliantly assesses the state of British politics, the challenges facing Starmer, and the rise of Farage’s Reform.

Has being Prime Minister become impossible?

open.spotify.com/episode/025W...

If Nigel Farage is correct that Britain has “become North Korea”, how come he has his own national TV show when he’s leader of an opposition party?

20 Questions With Steve Richards

Steve Richards - @steverichards.bsky.social - has been a political journalist for decades.

Here he brilliantly assesses the state of British politics, the challenges facing Starmer, and the rise of Farage’s Reform.

Has being Prime Minister become impossible?

open.spotify.com/episode/025W...

20 Questions With Paul Johnson

"I would say that it is a position of independence to point out, for example, that the fiscal policies of the Green Party, and of Reform, are - and I'll use this word particularly now that I'm not actually Director of the IFS - completely insane".

open.spotify.com/episode/5tiV...

Reform is an illusion and Farage is a mirage.

20 Questions With Paul Johnson

"I would say that it is a position of independence to point out, for example, that the fiscal policies of the Green Party, and of Reform, are - and I'll use this word particularly now that I'm not actually Director of the IFS - completely insane".

open.spotify.com/episode/5tiV...

If Nigel Farage is in tune with “the British people”, how come an overwhelming majority of the British people don’t want him to become Prime Minister?

20 Questions With Freddie de Tommaso

Today I interviewed Paul Johnson (until recently Director of the IFS) and Huey Morgan (once a Fun Lovin’ Criminal) for the 20 Questions With podcast. Separately, of course, not together. Both fascinating. Looking forward to sharing with you.

open.spotify.com/show/77uOvlZ...

Just to be clear. Nigel Farage’s plan for the boats includes signing a deal with the Taliban. Difficult to think of a policy less in line with British values.

20 Questions With Freddie de Tommaso 20 Questions With · Episode

**NEW**

Take a break from politics and listen to this!

Great fun interviewing Freddie de Tommaso, who is about to star in Tosca at the Royal Opera House. Singing, rugby, body-building, Italian restaurants and stardom.

Listen here:

open.spotify.com/episode/6jhQ...

Challenging to think of anything much more tragic than people so insecure about their Englishness that they’re sticking flags on lampposts.

20 Questions With Otto English 20 Questions With · Episode

Grilled by @matthewstadlen.bsky.social in the most delightful manner possible for 20 Questions.

We talked twitter-hate, pseudonyms, history repeating itself and of course about my latest book.

open.spotify.com/episode/5kql...