New West of England mayor vows to put politics aside to build region’s economy

Helen Godwin has been sworn in as the new Mayor of the West of England with a pledge to work with her political rivals to spur growth, promote skills and resolve the region’s long-standing transport issues.

As leader of the West of England Combined Authority, she has powers to bring about change in areas such as jobs and growth, transport, skills, the environment, planning and housing, and business support.

Accepting that the region has been dogged by political infighting for decades – which has been seen by many as holding it back – the new Labour mayor vowed to put aside deep-seated rivalry and bring the region together.

Helen Godwin, second from left, with Ian Boulton, Maggie Tyrrell, Kevin Guy and Tony Dyer

She said: “I meant what I said during the election campaign. To get the best for all of us in the West Country, politicians must put politics to one side.

“That’s how we’ll lay the Bristol to Portishead Line, build new affordable homes, and help create the jobs of the future.”

The varied political make-up of the West of England – home to almost 1m people in an area that incudes Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire – has long been viewed as one of the reasons for holding it back in terms of devolving Government funding.

Business leaders in the region have looked in envy at other English regions such as Greater Manchester and the West Midlands where mayor-led combined authorities have secured funds from Whitehall to boost their economies.

In contrast, the West of England Combined Authority has been criticised for failing to secure a place at the top table in Westminster, with the previous elected Labour mayor often seen as making this worse by taking a different stance on major issues to the leaders of its authorities.

In a move aimed at overcoming this, Mayor Godwin has appointed the Lib-Dem leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Cllr Kevin Guy, as her deputy. Vacant since 2021, the role will now rotate each year between the leaders of the local councils.

She added: “Together, working with the Labour government, we will get things moving in the West of England. In that spirit of renewed collaboration, I’m delighted to appoint Kevin Guy to serve as my first deputy mayor.”

She said she was proud to be from and for the region, so was working right away across party lines with Cllr Guy, the leader and co-leader of South Gloucestershire Council, Lib-Dem Cllr Maggie Tyrrell and Labour Cllr Ian Boulton, and Bristol City Council Green leader Tony Dyer.

“We all need to roll up our sleeves and pitch in. Our residents deserve nothing less, and that’s the only way that we will make things happen,” she added.

Cllr Guy said: “I congratulate Helen Godwin on her new role as Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority. We now have an opportunity to create a collaborative working relationship across the region, ensuring we get at least our fair share of central government funding, and moving ahead with key projects.

I am personally honoured to be asked to take on the role of Deputy Mayor of the Authority and feel this is also a great thing for B&NES. I look forward to working together closely to deliver what our communities need.”

Tony Dyer added: “Congratulations to Helen on becoming the Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority.

“I’m grateful that she took the time to call me on her first day about our shared ambitions for the region and look forward to working together.

“Helen is starting her new role at a critical time for our region’s economy with many opportunities ahead for our Combined Authority to deliver valuable and meaningful change for people living, working and studying in Bristol.

“Working alongside Helen and my counterparts in the region’s other local authorities I hope to continue our efforts to bring these valuable working relationships closer for the benefit of all of us.”

Helen Godwin secured 51,197 votes in last week’s mayoral election – 25% of the total cast, with Reform’s Arron Banks in second with 45,252 (22%) in an election that saw five candidates receive at least 14%.