Job sharing: Wales' politicians could be able to split roles

A former Welsh government minister has said he would still be in the cabinet if job sharing was allowed.

Ken Skates stepped back from government in 2021 in search of a better work-life balance after eight years in ministerial roles.

The Senedd reform bill published this week includes a way of exploring the idea of Members of the Senedd (MSs) job sharing in the future.

If introduced it could see politicians share their workload and a salary.

Mr Skates, who was part of the Welsh government between 2013 and 2021 and served as economy minister, is now a backbench Labour MS for Clwyd South, which covers part of Wrexham and Denbighshire.

Asked if he might still be a minister if job sharing was an option, he said "yes, absolutely".

"It's incredibly difficult when you're a member of the government to be able to balance your professional and personal life in a way that gives you satisfaction and in a way that people need, especially if you live far from Cardiff Bay," he told the BBC's Politics Wales.

"It's simply not possible for example to make the journey from parts of north Wales to Cardiff Bay on a daily basis," he said, explaining how it affected his personal life and his ability to serve his constituents.

"Having the option of remote working as well as job sharing... would level the playing field and enable many more people to consider getting into politics."

The newly-published Senedd reform bill, which paves the way for an increase in the number of MSs and the introduction of a new electoral system, also places a duty on the llywydd (presiding officer) to try to set up a committee following the next election to consider the idea of job sharing.

It is argued job sharing could create greater diversity by reducing the barriers preventing some people from standing for election, including those with disabilities and caring responsibilities, such as parents with young children, and women in particular.

Jessica Laimann of Women's Equality Network Wales said it would help women, who have an unequal share of caring responsibilities, get into politics.

"We've heard from a range of women who would not otherwise stand say they would immediately put themselves forward if that sort of arrangement was available to them," she added.

Sara Pickard, a community councillor in Pentyrch in Cardiff who has Down's syndrome, said the option to job share would encourage more people with disabilities who might otherwise feel "daunted" to stand for election to the Senedd.

"Having someone share that job with them could really help them share out the hours, the workload so that that job doesn't feel too much work for one individual, " she said, "especially those who've got disabilities who might feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work involved".

But the idea throws up practical questions - what if the two MSs disagreed in a vote, one stood down or switched parties, or one was offered a government post?

Prof Rosie Campbell, director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London, said: "As a job share team they would have to say how they're going to manage the situation if one were to step down.

"In the same way if they want to be in government, they're a job share so they would need to agree that between themselves.

"There can only ever be one person voting so they would have to say how they would make that decision.

"The key point to make is that it is still one job, one vote, one salary."

But Caerphilly Labour MS Hefin David said while he agreed job sharing could help committee chairs and ministers, he does not believe it is a necessary option for backbenchers.

With proposed six-member "super constituencies" in future, he said voters would have enough trouble getting to grips with who was representing them and job sharing was "probably creating more problems for the community than you're solving for the individual".

Welsh Labour said it recognised the "potential benefits" of job sharing and Plaid Cymru - which has a cooperation deal with Labour in the Senedd - said it was "proud to play its part" in trying to make becoming an MS a "realistic and attractive vocation to a wider group of people".

Welsh Conservatives called it "fraught with issues and additional costs" and accused Labour of "removing themselves further from the scrutiny of the electorate".