Joe Powell (politician)

Joe Powell is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Kensington and Bayswater since 2024. He was the deputy CEO of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) for 11 years.

Early life
Powell grew up in Queen's Park, London, and played football under the Westway. Powell attended University College School in London. In 2007 he graduated from the University of Cambridge with a bachelor's degree in geography. He then went on to complete a two-year masters degree at the Makerere University in Uganda, receiving a masters degree in international relations and diplomatic studies in 2009.

Career outside parliament
Powell was the deputy chief executive officer of the Open Government Partnership, which was founded by former U.S. president Barack Obama, for 11 years.

In 2022, Powell was a co-founder of Kensington Against Dirty Money, an activist association. He was involved in a publicity stunt loading a washing machine with cash. 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 the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are registered to anonymous companies.

Parliamentary career
On 25 November 2022, Powell was selected by Kensington Labour to be the parliamentary candidate in the 2024 general election. Powell pledged to improve St. Mary's, Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospital s; increase affordable housing and improve landlord regulations; enhance neighbourhood policing; address the cost of living crisis and climate change; seek justice for Grenfell; and tackle dirty money in the community.

Personal life
Powell and his wife Elspeth became parents of twins, a boy and a girl, at the start of his campaign in late May 2024.