Britain must follow Donald Trump and Elon Musk's push to make the state more efficient and reduce waste, says Kemi Badenoch.
The conservative leader welcomed the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which will be introduced by Trump when he returns to the White House next month.
DOGE will be led by Mr Musk, the billionaire owner of X, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a fellow entrepreneur, and will focus on cutting bureaucracy and restructuring government agencies.
Speaking to The Camilla Tominey Show on GB News, Ms Badenoch expressed her hope that the newly elected US president would succeed in his objectives “because that is what I want to do”.
DOGE will be led by Elon Musk and focus on cutting bureaucracy and restructuring government agencies – Evan Vucci/AP
“I'm pretty excited about what a Trump presidency will bring,” she said. “I am someone who has written endlessly about how as a country we are becoming increasingly bureaucratic instead of entrepreneurial.
“I've written articles, I've given speeches about this, and DOGE is basically what I've been talking about. Javier Milei from Argentina also argues that the Western world has just become bogged down in compliance and bureaucracy.
“So it will be interesting to see how President Trump moves forward with DOGE and with those plans because that's what I want to do.”
“This is what I have always wanted to do, even as company secretary when I published papers on smarter regulation and scrapped audit rules. These are things we can do to help our economy thrive again.”
Ms Badenoch met JD Vance, the newly elected vice president, in Washington this month as she sought to “renew” her ties with the Republican Party, although she has not yet met Mr Trump.
The Tory leader urged Sir Keir Starmer to prioritize “the big prize” of a free trade deal with the US after Joe Biden suspended negotiations when he took office.
“Right now, with a new Trump presidency, Keir Starmer should be pursuing the US Free Trade Agreement, and we will certainly push for that,” she said.
“The most important thing is to make sure you sign a deal that works for both countries, and not one that is lopsided, and only the Conservatives would do that.”
Ms Badenoch met with Mr Vance, the US vice-president-elect, in Washington earlier this month
Ms Badenoch also appeared to dismiss members of Reform UK as a Nigel Farage “fan club” in a swipe at the rebel right-wing center party.
“I'm about the institution of the Conservative Party. Nigel Farage is an individual personality, he doesn't even have a membership organization,” she said.
When it was put to her that the reform had just passed 100,000 members, meaning the Tories' 130,000 members were closing in, Ms Badenoch replied: “That's what they say, but what can they do as members?
“My members have a say, they are part of the organization, I have to take care of them. They are not my fan club. These are people for whom I have a responsibility.”
'Long slog to restore confidence in the Tories'
Ms Badenoch warned it would take “the full time in opposition” before the next general election, saying there was a “long slog” ahead to restore confidence in the Conservative brand.
The party went from a landslide victory in December 2019 to returning just 121 MPs at the July general election, amid widespread discontent with successive Tory governments.
“We must remember that I have been in charge for five weeks and we are talking about a party that has been in government for 14 years,” Ms Badenoch added.
“It will take time. The assumption that after fourteen years we are just going to put a lick of paint on it and say 'ta-da', that will not be the case. It's going to be a long slog. I'm here for the long haul, I'm not just here to make a few short speeches and pull gimmicks.”
In her first few weeks as Tory leader, Ms Badenoch has refused to make specific policy commitments and instead argued it was more important to start with “first principles”.
On Sunday she again refused to set a ceiling on net migration, although she said the Tories would eventually arrive at this figure after a detailed analysis of economic needs.
She also rejected suggestions that leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would allow immediate deportations, citing a “staffing problem” with the Home Office.
