08/02/2010

Bates and the Bottle

If Mick Bates AM is guilty of assaulting health workers who were attempting to help him after he had injured himself in a drunken accident he is a yob, and he deserves to be punished with the full force of the law just like any other drunken yob who turns nasty in his cups. His excuse that he can't recall the incident (because of the bang to his head not because of the beer in his belly) is weak and his attempt at an apology, saying he's sorry IF he did something wrong is insufficient and inappropriate.

Mr Bates has not only let himself down but has also let down his family, his party, his constituents and the Assembly. The Assembly is a body that has a duty to ensure that NHS workers are protected against violent behaviour by patients, so I cannot see how Mr Bates position as a member can remain tenable if this story is true; he should resign his seat immediately.

Despite not having an ounce of sympathy for Mick Bates, there is another element in this story that causes concern. It is reported that the alleged assault happened some weeks ago. If this is the case then the matter should have been reported some weeks ago, and Mr Bates should have been forced to resign some weeks ago. If the story has been sat upon for some weeks in order to publish it on the weekend of the Liberal Democrats conference then it reeks of the most foul sort of journalistic political bias. Perhaps Mr Bates isn't the only person who should be seriously considering his suitability for the job that he is doing, perhaps the reporters and editor of Wales on Sunday should be doing the same thing.

12 comments:

  1. I heared he was out drinking with a Tory press officer at the time,

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  2. Adding to your point about the role of the media, see this from the paramedic on the BBC Wales web site: "On trying to obtain observations on the gentleman, he's grabbed out at a jacket, punched myself to the chest and grabbed my colleague's wrists." He said a police officer was called into the ambulance at this point and Mr Bates was issued with a warning".

    So we have a long delay in reporting it and no charges at the time of the alleged incident. What's occurring?

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  3. This is all being pre judged
    I am very sceptical why this has taken until now to come to light
    Police were called at the time and no action taken
    Shouldnt that have closed the matter
    may be he was groggy from the bump to his head , its possible, what do we know
    Smoke and mirrors again to what end and who from I wonder

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  4. I would ask for you all to please join- www.facebook.com/pages/Disgraced-Lib-Dem-AM-Should-Resign/271405372705?ref=nf

    This is a disgraceful act and he should not be allowed to serve our nation and the people of Montgomryshire!

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  5. My thoughts exactly about the way in which the story has been 'embargoed' by the media.

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  6. Anybody know the date this happened? No news on this in the mainstream media as far as I can tell. Might that fact show it was held back for party political purposes?

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  7. Anybody know the date this happened? No news on this in the mainstream media as far as I can tell. Might that fact show it was held back for party political purposes?

    Early hours of 19th / 20th January, from what I've been told, but I can't swear to that, which is why I used "some weeks ago" in the post.

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  8. Mam, I would have more sympathy with the groggy from a bang on the head excuse, if it wasn't for the fact that he obtained the bang on the head falling down the steps of a club from which he had been asked to leave for being drunk and abusive.

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  9. Not as insubstantial as Rhodri Glyn's cigar-smoke but just as damaging in the long run. Lib Dem efforts at media management did more harm than anything else and if the paramedic makes a formal complaint then the agenda will move on accordingly.

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  10. More trouble brewing down the bay, this time with a blue, much bigger than this little problem.

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  11. I hear that Mr Bates is to resign in 6 weeks from now and has formed a company with the help of EON to push those rubbish wind turbines down all our throats - so if its true then we should call him Windy Bates because that is all he does, talk and shout nonsense.

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  12. So who is the blue?

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