By-election trigged as Southmead councillor announces resignation
Helen Godwin says she no longer has the time to represent her ward four months after accepting a job at private consultancy firm PwC
Last updated 24th Dec 2021
A former Bristol City Council cabinet member has announced she will leave her position in the new year.
In a post on Facebook Labour councillor Helen Godwin, who until recently sat on the Mayor's cabinet as the member for Women, Families and Children, says she is no longer able to properly represent the people of Southmead.
Godwin, who has been an elected member of the council for five years, left her cabinet role in August after taking a job at the private consultancy firm PwC.
At the time it was said she would remain on the council as a backbencher and that she would have the time to do so, but in her Facebook post it appears she has now accepted that is not the case.
"My current job means I am really struggling to carve out the time to be in Southmead and to be as available for residents as I would like," she says.
"Serving this community for the past 5 years has been an absolute joy.
"I have made so many true, good friends and learnt so much about what really matters - community, friendship and trust.
"I hope you will continue to put your trust in Bristol Labour when a by election is called in the New Year."
Since the latest local council election in May Labour are only the joint largest party on the council alongside the Greens, who both hold 24 seats.
If, in the now upcoming by-election Godwin was replaced by a Green, Labour would then no longer be the largest party in Bristol.
Were that to happen it would raise several questions about how the council would be run in the future, not least because every cabinet position is currently held by a Labour member.
Clearly though what will happen remains to be seen. Both of Southmead's councillors are currently Labour so on the face of it a Green victory in a new by-election seems unlikely.
An exact date for when the by-election will be held has not yet been confirmed.