There are meetings that are interesting. And then there are meetings that stay with you.

In late May 2025, I had the privilege of meeting Lord Dominic Johnson, Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party, and formerly Minister for Investment in the previous government, for coffee inside the House of Lords. But before the coffee, he did something I genuinely did not expect: he gave me a personal tour of the building, including the chance to watch the procession for the opening of the Lords.

To stand inside one of the most historic legislative chambers in the world, watching that ancient ritual unfold, as a lad from Hexham who left the UK at 20 with not much more than a AAT qualification and a plane ticket to Guangzhou, that is a moment that is very hard to put into words.

The Conversation

Over coffee, Lord Johnson and I covered a broad and genuinely stimulating range of topics: UK-China trade, investment, entrepreneurship, politics of course, the Conservative party, and the critical importance of building a policy environment that empowers the next generation rather than blocking it.

One point we both firmly agreed on: entrepreneurs are a cornerstone of economic vitality, and governments must do more to ensure that policy is a catalyst for innovation and growth rather than a barrier to it, especially for young people with ambition and ideas. As someone who left the UK for China at 20 and has since built ventures rooted in purpose and impact, I feel this deeply. The right support at the right time can change the trajectory of a life, and an economy.

Lord Johnson, who I had first met during the 2023 BritCham Whitehall Doorknock when he was serving as Minister for Investment, is exactly the kind of policymaker that gives you confidence in the process. He listens. He engages. He gets it. And his own LinkedIn content, accessible, direct, and focused on the things that actually matter to British business, is well worth following for anyone interested in trade, investment, and entrepreneurship.

A Personal Note

I’ll be open about something. Part of our conversation touched on my own interest in a future political career, the idea of one day being able to contribute directly to the UK’s direction of travel on the issues I care most about: trade, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, foreign relations, and the kind of bridge-building between Britain and the world that I have been doing in a business and community context for twenty years.

Lord Johnson was generous with his time, his perspective, and his encouragement. It is not something I take lightly.

I don’t know exactly what that future looks like yet. But I do know that conversations like this one, honest, substantive, and conducted between people who genuinely share a belief in what Britain can be, are the foundation on which any serious contribution to public life has to be built.

To Lord Johnson: thank you for the time, the tour, the insight, and the belief that constructive dialogue between business and government still matters. It does.

🔗 Lord Dominic Johnson on LinkedIn 🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn

Mark Clayton FCMA CGMA CPA KOR — Group CFO, C2W Group | Chairman, British Chamber of Commerce South China