Helen Godwin is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Mayor of the West of England since 2025.
Early life and education.
Helen Godwin grew up in Begbrook, near Stapleton, Bristol, in what she states was a working class family, and went to Cotham School and Filton College. From 1994 to 1998 she took a degree in European Studies and Spanish at Liverpool John Moores University.
Early political career.
In her 20s, Godwin was a New Labour supporter and Labour blogger, although she left the Labour party for four years in protest at British involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which she called an illegal war.
Godwin (listed as Helen Godwin Teige) was elected to Bristol City Council, representing Southmead ward, in 2016. She was re-elected in 2021, and later served as cabinet member for women, young people and families under Marvin Rees. She announced her resignation as councillor in December 2021 due to work commitments from a new job.
In 2020, she ran to be the Labour candidate for the 2021 West of England mayoral election, but was defeated in a local party membership ballot by the former Labour MP for Wansdyke, Dan Norris.
Mayor of the West of England.
Candidacy.
On 21 November 2024, Godwin was named as the Labour candidate for the 2025 West of England mayoral election. Her candidacy was endorsed by the Member of Parliament for Bristol North West, Darren Jones MP, and by the former Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees and his two deputies. Godwin was elected Mayor of the West of England on 1 May 2025 with 25.0% of the vote.
Mayoralty.
Godwin stated that she would take a collaborative approach in the West of England Combined Authority, and that her three main priorities were:
Working career.
In August 2021, Godwin started working for professional services company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in their consulting business in the government and health sectors.
Earlier in her working career, she worked for recruitment company Hays as business manager in the legal interims and paralegals division, and later as director and co-owner with her spouse of Redland Search, a recruitment company in Bristol.
Personal life.
Godwin moved back to Bristol from London circa 2012. She and her spouse have three children.