Friday, April 23, 2010

Show business in politics.

Pleased to see that Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Mick Bates is still active in the Liberal Democrat election campaign, despite being suspended last week from the Liberal Democrat party. Firstly, I note that it is he who has proposed Lembit Opik as the party's candidate for the coming General Election in Montgomeryshire. Nothing improper about that of course, but I would have thought it a touch unusual for someone so recently suspended from a party to be given such a significant symbolic position. I was proposed by the hugely respected Cllr. Aled Davies, Chairman of the Montgomeryshire Association.

And then there's this report on the BBC today. It seems as if one of Mick's staff has been dressing up in a nurse's uniform for a photo-op with a Lib Dem candidate in Cardiff. Its never what it seems with the Lib Dems. Its all for show business. Now Mick himself has a bit of a reputation for dressing up in fancy dress, having once famously attended a full session of the National Assembly wearing a Santa Claus outfit. And his Montgomeryshire MP colleague (or ex-colleague) once bought on his parliamentary allowances a 'mother of all wigs'. They're an odd lot - the Lib Dems. One thing I'm not sure about is whether Mick Bates is still a Liberal Democrat AM, or an 'Independent' AM as described in the BBC report. If anyone knows, perhaps they would let us know.

4 comments:

David Thomas said...

"Suspension" obviously has an elastic meaning with the LibDems. It was days before they took Mick off their website but, now that he's gone, I think it's safe to assume that he sits with Trish Law as an Independent.

Anonymous said...

I think officially he would be described as "non-aligned" unless he himself choses to style himself as an independent.

Anonymous said...

No actually, he doesn't sit in an independent seat. If you look at First Minister's questions last Tuesday, there he is as bold as brass sitting in his usual place behind Peter Black. Has the man no conscience for what he did? Ok, so innocent until proved guilty - but there's clearly a case to answer, and quite frankly he should be keeping his head right down, and out of sight. And did he put up his researcher into wearing a nurses uniform? Probably, and that's pretty typical of him too.

David Thomas said...

By all accounts Mick is still using the Liberal offices in Newtown and its staff. "Nothing's changed" I believe is the local LibDem line. This would be at odds with the Electoral Commission's statement this week re John Taylor and Mohammed Ashgar viz "AMs employ their own support staff".