WECA Mayor Helen Godwin - redefining regional leadership and sorting out the buses

Our guest today is no stranger to the show. Back in 2020, Neil spoke with Helen Godwin when she was a Bristol City Councillor. A lot has changed since then. Not only has the Bristol mayoral role been abolished, but a new Labour government is in power, and Helen Godwin now holds one of the West Country's most important political positions: the Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA).In May, Helen won the election and has since been settling into her new role. We've brought her back on the show to get the inside scoop on her first few months in office. What has she accomplished, and what challenges has she faced? We unpack what it's really like to be the WECA Mayor.Helen has often described herself as an empathetic and caring leader, a stark contrast to her predecessor, Dan Norris, who was known for his disagreements with local leaders. We explore her plans for building better relationships with local bigwigs and improving morale within the WECA office. What does she think she can realistically achieve during her four-year term?The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom - fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.