Joe Powell | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forKensington and Bayswater | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Felicity Buchan |
| Majority | 2,903 (6.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Labour |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge Makerere University |
Joseph Edward Powell[1] is a BritishLabour Party politician who has served as theMember of Parliament forKensington and Bayswater since2024.[2] He was the deputy CEO of theOpen Government Partnership (OGP) for 11 years.[3]
Powell grew up inQueen's Park, London[4] and attendedUniversity College School inLondon. In 2007 he graduated from theUniversity of Cambridge with a bachelor's degree in geography. He then went on to complete a two-year masters degree at theMakerere University in Uganda, receiving a masters degree in international relations and diplomatic studies in 2009.[5]
Powell was the deputy chief executive officer of theOpen Government Partnership for 11 years.[4][3][6]
In 2022, Powell was a co-founder of Kensington Against Dirty Money, an activist association.[7][4] He was involved in a publicity stunt loading a washing machine with cash.[4] He has regularly called for increased transparency about who owns and controls property in the United Kingdom, highlighting issues such as the fact that 6,000 properties in theBorough of Kensington and Chelsea are registered to anonymous companies.[8]
On 25 November 2022, Powell was selected by Kensington Labour to be the parliamentary candidate in the 2024 general election.[6] Powell pledged to improveSt. Mary's,Charing Cross andHammersmith Hospitals; increase affordable housing and improve landlord regulations; enhance neighbourhood policing; address the cost of living crisis and climate change; seek justice forGrenfell; and tackle dirty money in the community.[4][9][10]
