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

Well, good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this beautiful sunny day in Blackpool. The sea frets was just burning off around the Blackpool Tower as I was walking in. It's so nice to be back. And for those of us who haven't met, I'm Mark Wallace. I'm the chief executive of Conservative Home. You, of course, have joined us for this very special live episode of the Mogcast, kindly sponsored by Thorncliffe,

made this event possible. And we are joined by the man himself, Jacob Rees-Mogg. I hope you'll

join me in giving him a very warm spring conference. Now, I already know, because several of you have buttonholed me already, that there's

lots of questions in the audience. So I promise that I won't hog all of Jacobs at a time

myself. We'll come to audience questions as much as possible. But Jacob, it is part of the

introduction to this podcast that says a discussion about the issues of the day.

So can I start with the first one, which is Blackpool itself?

Here we are. We're back for a Conservative Party conference in Blackpool.

Do you like to be by the seaside?

I do, beside the sea, where the brass band plays tilly um, pum,

beside the sea side, beside the sea.

It's lovely to be back, and I think it is a sensible rebalancing.

It's been very nice having party conferences in Manchester and Birmingham,

but our historic seaside homes have something special about them,

and I think they're more welcoming in a way for members.

They're probably less

expensive than city centres. And in a city centre, in a way, a party conference can get lost,

whereas by the seaside, we are, for the time we're here, the main event, and it becomes a

wonderful community activity. But I think it's also part of leveling up.

Leveling up isn't just about the big urban centres.

It's about the seaside towns.

...