Joy Morrissey

The daughter of a church leader from Ohio, Joy Morrissey was born in Indiana and grew up in the United States. She came to the UK in the late 2000s to complete a Masters degree in European Social Policy, and soon afterwards received her British citizenship. Her career has seen her act and produce in a number of low budget-films, as well as travel extensively to undertake humanitarian work in Albania, Kosovo, China, and India, helping refugees, working in orphanages, and teaching English. She was very active in local politics when she was based in Ealing, elected as a councillor in 2014, standing for Parliament in Ealing Central and Acton in 2017, and putting herself forward for the Conservative nomination for London mayor in 2020. She was a parliamentary staffer for Angie Bray and Will Quince, and recently worked for the Centre for Social Justice. Joy is a great believer and defender of the green belt, and resolutely opposes both a third runway at Heathrow and HS2. Morrissey’s majority for the Conservatives in Beaconsfield is 15,712. The 39-year-old was forced to self-isolate in November 2020 after one of her staff members tested positive for coronavirus. She has said the most important political issue facing the country is the mental health of young people.

Hot Seat

Are there any ways you would like to see Parliament reformed?

I would welcome more support for mothers working in Parliament.

What was the catalyst for you deciding to enter politics?

Angie Bray gave me my first job in politics. All politicians need some luck.

What book or poem has influenced your choice of career?

Epitaphs of War by Rudyard Kipling; Shakespeare’s Macbeth as a cautionary tale; and Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier, which influenced my political philosophy.