Conservative Party Conference this year was a virtual affair, and I was delighted to be asked by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Homes, Communities & Local Government, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, if we could record a short interview as part of his virtual ‘set’. It’s always great to welcome ministers to Stoke-on-Trent, but especially those who have a long and distinguished connection to the city. I first met Robert in 2009, when he was a parliamentary candidate for Newcastle-under-Lyme, and we have kept in touch in ever since.