Mick Bates (politician)
| Mick Bates | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Welsh Assembly for Montgomeryshire |
|
|
In office 6 May 1999 – 5 May 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | New Assembly |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
24 September 1947 Loughborough |
| Political party | Independent / Liberal Democrat |
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.
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. Bates, resigned from the party, however, before the Welsh Liberal Democrats could convene a committee of enquiry.
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