Job-sharing at Welsh Assembly 'would make AM job more attractive'

Sian Gwenllian had to bring up four children on her own after her husband died

Job-sharing could make becoming an AM more attractive, a Plaid Cymru politician has said.

The AM for Arfon Sian Gwenllian said there was "no way" she could have been at the assembly when she was raising four children as a widowed parent.

A recent report proposed that the law be changed so candidates could stand for election on a joint-ticket.

But presiding officer Elin Jones said the assembly may not have the powers to make the changes that would be needed.

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Ms Gwenllian told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme: "There would be no way that I could be an AM down in Cardiff while I was raising four children on my own.

"They were really young when my husband died.

"Had job-sharing been an option then I suppose it could have been much more attractive, because you could have job-shared with someone who didn't have caring responsibilities and they could have taken on more of the role of being at the assembly for part of the week where I could have taken on the constituency role.

"And then after a few years, when the children were grown up, we could have swapped."

Initial legal advice has cast doubt on the ability of the assembly to implement a job-share policy

Asked if a job-share should be considered for the leadership of Plaid Cymru, she said: "Why don't we have a look at that? Two members of the Green Party did try and put themselves forward as a job-sharing MP.

"That was ruled to be illegal unfortunately. We haven't seen that happen at an elected level.

"Why not? Why don't we have joint leaders?"

A report that called for an extra 20 to 30 members in the assembly proposed for the law to be changed to allow candidates to stand in job-share arrangements.

"Enabling candidates standing for the same party or as independents to stand for election on the basis of job-sharing arrangements could lead to an increase in the diversity of representation within the assembly", the report said.

'Attracting women'

Ms Gwenllian told the Senedd on Wednesday that job-sharing "would be a good way of attracting women with children to the role, and the job share could come to an end as these responsibilities decrease, allowing for a period of mentoring to engender confidence".

She said this "would make being a candidate for the assembly much more attractive to many more people, including, of course, women".

The assembly commission will soon begin the process of deciding which parts of the report on electoral reform should be progressed.

Elin Jones, presiding officer, told AMs that initial legal advice cast doubt on the ability of the assembly to implement such a policy, "particularly if members would wish to allow a job-sharing member to become minister or cabinet secretary".

"There are questions also to be asked as to whether creating a law to allow job-sharing would necessarily lead to political parties adopting candidates on a job-share basis," she added.

"None of this is an excuse for inaction, of course, nor a reason for dismissing the idea out of hand."

Sunday Supplement, 08:00 BST, 17 June, BBC Radio Wales