Bates blasts ‘fuddy-duddy’ Tories for resisting progress

Release/Rhyddhau: 26/06/06

Contact/Cyswllt: Ceirion Rees:
029 2089 8342/ 07733280105/ ceirion.rees@wales.gov.uk 

Mick Bates has branded Tory AMs “fuddy-duddies” after they tried to block attempts to bring Wales’ Senedd in to the 21st century.

Mr Bates, the AM for Montgomeryshire, became the first parliamentarian to use presentation software to illustrate an Assembly debate on June 20 during his short debate which launched a campaign to persuade supermarkets to become green champions. Images and words appeared on plasma screens in the siambr. But now Tory AMs have complained to the Assembly’s Business Committee, attempting to ban the use of the high-tech tools.

Mick said: “Tory fuddy duddies are trying to turn back the clock – perhaps they want to go back to the days when they were in power in Wales. But the genie is out of the bottle. People have seen that the world didn’t end because we used a Powerpoint presentation in the chamber. In fact, many people have complimented me on the innovative use of images to illustrate the debate.

“We live in a digital age, where the image is king. If we restrict ourselves to using words in the chamber, then we are failing to make best use of the technology we have available, and we will be failing to communicate effectively with the world outside the Senedd.

“The Tories are the ‘no’ party. They said no to the Assembly, they said no to the Senedd building, now they are saying no to using technology to its full potential. They lost the battle on the first two, and I am sure their stick-in-the-mud attitude will lose the battle on technology.

“Rather than trying to turn the clock back, the Tories should do what they always do – lose the argument, then get on with it. They did that with the idea of the Assembly, then with the building. Rather than trying to hold back the tide, I would encourage them to dive in – the water’s lovely.”

During his groundbreaking speech on June 20th, Mr Bates acknowledged that Powerpoint presentations would be unsuitable for many debates, but urged AMs to consider where it could add information or colour to their speeches. The event is believed to be the first in the world to use presentation tools in a National debating chamber.

William Graham has written on behalf of Tory AMs to the Assembly’s business committee calling for the technology to be forbidden in future. They claim it is “inappropriate” in the plenary session.