Mick Bates (politician)

Mick Bates (born Loughborough 24 September 1947) is an Independent Liberal Democrat politician. He was Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Montgomeryshire between 1999 and 2011.

Background

Bates first worked as a science teacher at Humphrey Perkins Junior High School, Barrow in Soar; then at Belvidere Secondary School, Shrewsbury, from 1970 to 1975; he became head of general science at The Grove School, Market Drayton, 1975–77. In 1977 he left teaching to become a farmer and took up campaigning on behalf of agriculture and rural communities. Bates was chairman of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Llanfair Caereinion Branch from 1983 to 1985 and Chairman of the County Livestock Committee, 1988–1991. He instigated and chaired the NFU County Public Affairs Committee in 1990 and was the NFU County chairman in 1991.

In 1994 Bates became involved in local politics as a Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Dyffryn Banw, where he started a community regeneration scheme as Chairman of the Llanfair Town Forum, which successfully obtained Market Towns Initiative status. He also produced and presented the Radio Maldwyn farming programme and organised a scheme for students to visit farms from 1994–5. He was an NFU elected delegate 1995. He was founding Chair of Primestock Producers Cymru, a national farmers cooperative, and also helped to found Montgomeryshire Rural Enterprises in 1997. In 1999 Bates was elected as Welsh Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire and held the seat until the Assembly election on 5 May 2011.

On 10 December 2010, Bates was convicted of three counts of common assault and public disorder following an incident on 20 January 2010, and was ordered to pay fines, compensation and costs totalling £5,490. The Welsh Liberal Democrats began proceedings to terminate his membership of the party.^[1] Bates, resigned from the party, however, before the Welsh Liberal Democrats could convene a committee of enquiry.

Political interests

They are sustainability and the environment, agriculture, community regeneration and the voluntary sector, infrastructure and ensuring prosperity for rural communities.

National Assembly

Whilst at the Assembly, Mick Bates has campaigned for extra money for rural schools and put major road schemes into the Welsh Government Transport Plan including the Newtown bypass, Buttington improvements, the Four Crosses bypass and Glandyfi bends.

Mick Bates promoted and secured free school milk for key stage one students in Wales, helped establish the Small Schools Fund and wrote a Biomass Strategy based on a local project in Llanwyddyn to provide heat and hot water for the school and surrounding houses.

On agriculture, Mick Bates designed the unique concept of Farming Connect, a free business advisory service for farmers to help farmers throughout Wales. He campaigned successfully for the creation of an independent appeals panel to resolve subsidy disputes.

The environment is an important issue for Mick Bates and he was a founder member of the cross party National Assembly Sustainable Energy Group (NASEG) which sought to promote the development of a sustainable energy industry in Wales.

Committee membership

• Chair of the Sustainability Committee 2007–2010.
• Member of the Rural Development Committee 2007–2010.
• Member of Legislation Committee no.5 2008–2009.
• Member of the proposed Environmental Protection and Waste Management LCO Committee 2007–2008.
• Chair of the Mid & West Wales Regional Committee 2007.
• Member of the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee 2003–2007.
• Member of the Mid Wales Regional Committee 2003–2005.
• Member of the Economic Development Committee 2002–2003.
• Chair of the Legislation Committee 2000–2003.
• Member of the Environment, Planning and Transport Committee 2000–2001.
• Member of the Mid Wales Regional Committee 1999–2003.
• Member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee 1999–2002.

References

• Committee Membership National Assembly for Wales Committee Membership

External links

• Mick Bates AM official site
• Mick Bates AM official biography at the National Assembly for Wales website
• NASEG National Assembly Sustainable Energy Group

Offices held