Bates apologies for hand gesture

Nov 29 2006

A Welsh Assembly member apologised today after his rude hand gesture was captured on film and posted on the internet. Liberal Democrat AM Mick Bates was seen holding up his middle finger during a debate in the Assembly chamber yesterday.

A video of the incident appeared on the Guido Fawkes blog, accusing Mr Bates of directing the gesture at Assembly Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas. A Lib Dem spokesman said Mr Bates, the AM for Montgomeryshire, was in fact engaging in some “light-hearted banter” with Plaid Cymru AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas.

In a statement Mr Bates said: “My gesture was not directed to the Presiding Officer, for whom I have enormous respect and affection. “I was showing Rhodri Glyn Thomas which finger he should use to operate the Assembly’s modern push-button voting system. “If anyone has taken offence then of course I apologise for that.”