Louise not ruling out entering Politics

Louise Mitchell-Joseph is unable to say right now whether she would enter the political arena, but like her father Sir James Mitchell, she considers herself a political animal.{{more}}

“Yes, I am a political animal,” said Mitchell-Joseph to SEARCHLIGHT in an exclusive interview last Tuesday morning at her Kingstown Park law firm.

Her immediate desire is to build her law firm and dedicate as much time as she has to her young family which includes: Husband Dwight “Bing” Joseph, and children Chavez, Tai, and James.

Mitchell-Joseph disclosed she wants her law firm to be her legacy to her children. Her aim is to staff it with a cadre of competent female lawyers to work on diverse areas. Females, because she works quite well with them and have a deeper understanding of their psyche and vice versa.

Once she has accomplished this along with her voluntary work “then maybe, politics”.

Mitchell-Joseph’s views on a future in politics were made while commenting on her appointment as the new Honorary Consul to Finland to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

She pointed out that a great deal of her life was spent living abroad.

However, in 2000 after 16 years out of the state she returned to St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

She said persons often view her as a prime minister’s daughter, but while this is true, leaving St.Vincent and the Grenadines in 1984 to attend boarding school in Canada at the age of 13 she never enjoyed the “glitz and glamour”.

“I grew up as the daughter of a politician who was constantly facing defeat,” said Mitchell-Joseph, whose father won the General Elections the same year she left and went on to become the country’s longest serving prime minister. Mitchell-Joseph noted that she tried to make it home for vacation every year.

Her principles are founded on Canadian culture and her exposure to Europe is also a part of who she is. Yet she is heavily influenced by Sir James.

She said her father instilled in her and her other siblings that living to help themselves only is not a life worth living. Hence, they were taught the value of contributing to their society.

“So the first interest is to give, or help, or you have no place,” said Mitchell-Joseph.

“I am driven to make a difference. I feel useless if I can’t make a difference to the place and people with whom I live,” she said.

Sometimes the realities of politics get nasty. On this note Mitchell-Joseph said: “I certainly don’t like the mess. Nobody likes the nastiness of politics.”

Mitchell-Joseph holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Political Science, with a special focus on Middle Eastern and Latin American Politics. She studied Law at the University of Manchester before going to the Inns of Court School of Law in London.

Her education was furthered at the Oxford University where she pursued a Master’s in Law.

Her European sojourn was followed by a Middle Eastern venture which took her all the way to Egypt, where she spent a year as an editor with the Egyptian Gazette before travelling to the United States of America.

Mitchell-Joseph has served as this country’s Deputy Registrar, and Executive Director of the International Financial Services Authority (IFSA). She is the current Chairman of the St.Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust and a lead member of the St. Mary’s Restoration Committee and Trust.