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Lord Dominic R.A. Johnson, co-chairman of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, wished Elon Musk the “the greatest of success” in his attempt to dramatically deregulate the federal bureaucracy at an Institute of Politics forum on Monday.
Johnson, who formerly served as Minister of State in the Department for Business and Trade, said that Musk’s efforts to reduce government spending could potentially serve as an example to other countries.
“I’m very envious of him, with the enormous amount of power and authority that seems to be vested in him,” Johnson said. “I think any politician in any country around the world is looking with particular interest at what he can achieve.”
In the opening weeks of the Trump administration, the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency, helmed by Musk, has taken radical steps to shrink the federal bureaucracy. So far, the unit has dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, canceled various diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and threatened the future of the Department of Education.
In the conversation, which was moderated by economist and Chair of the U.K. Government’s Regulatory Policy Committee Stephen Gibson, Johnson argued that such deregulation efforts are “intrinsic to the survival of our nations.”
“I can’t think of a single pitfall that would befall this nation if you reduced bureaucracy, and you managed to get your regulation more in tune with economic growth,” Johnson said.
Over the last few weeks, critics of DOGE have filed a litany of lawsuits arguing that the unit has illegal access to sensitive information across the federal bureaucracy. One federal judge has already ruled against Musk, blocking his access to Treasury records.
Johnson, who acknowledged that he “failed spectacularly” in his own efforts to reduce and reform regulation in the U.K., sympathized with Musk’s uphill battle.
Johnson said the process was difficult for a reason and lamented the “friction” involved in deregulation.
“At no point did I expect that Elon Musk would have free reign,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, we’re a nation of laws, and you wouldn’t think that would be appropriate in any event, because these things are more complex in the detail than they are on the surface.”
Nonetheless, Johnson remained supportive of DOGE’s “bold” steps, calling them necessary to refocus the regulatory state on economic growth.
“I think you probably have to be bold,” Johnson said. “It makes people think, and at the end of the day, if you can get your government systems to think constructively about what they’re doing, then you’re automatically winning half the battle.”
Johnson said that it is crucial to find solutions to overregulation, describing it as a main cause of young people’s dissatisfaction with the democratic process.
“Young people want to have stronger, more authoritarian candidates in power,” Johnson said. “They feel that nothing can be done because of the weight of the bureaucracy.”
While Johnson blamed the U.K.’s inability to deregulate on a lack of support from the heads of state, he said he was “excited” by the “debate” he thought Musk’s DOGE project would create.
“I wish him the greatest of success,” Johnson said. “I know the system will do what it can to protect itself, and I’m really excited to see whether or not he can achieve some of his goals because I think the rest of the world is watching.”
—Staff writer Elise A. Spenner can be reached at elise.spenner@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @EliseSpenner.
—Staff writer Will P. Cottiss can be reached at will.cottiss@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X at @WillPCottiss.
