The Mogcast, a fortnightly conversation with Jacob Rees-Mogg about the topics of the day.

Welcome to the 73rd Mogast. This is Paul Goodman, editor of Conservative Home, in conversation with Jacob Rees-Mogg in the very different surroundings of the Cabinet office.

For the last time I saw you, Jacob, you were still leave of the House.

We were in your office in the main body of Parliament, and here we are. So I'm going to start with the most

innocuous of questions. Tell us about your new job. Thank you. And it is funny because when we

last met, I had no inkling that I was about to change offices. There was a little bit of newspaper

gossip, but there's been newspaper gossip almost all the time I've been around. So here we are.

And I've got a very interesting job because it is both Brexit opportunities, but also government efficiency.

So it's at the heart I think what so many conservatives feel is important about government,

but isn't always what government succeeds in doing.

So what do we expect of government as conservatives?

We expect that the government is there to do things that need to be done, but no more, and

should let people get on with their lives and

get on with their businesses as far as it's practical.

But over the years you build up endless barnacles on the ship of state.

You were joking as you came in that you were asked for your telephone number by the security

team which was apparently a track and trace issue. And once something

starts, it's very difficult to get rid of it, that regulations come in, and then they're

just there, and they don't get reviewed, they don't get thought about. And inefficiencies

build up. It's like limestone in a kettle, if you wish, until eventually you have to get a new

cattle. So my role, I suppose, is to be the anti-lime scale agent of government. Who was the

anti-limescale agent before you? Well, I think there were two. I think that part of what I'm doing

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