A Knighthood for Alan Bates
One of the questions I get asked often is to ‘name some good examples, Louise’ and lately there are quite a few.
The story of Mr. Bates vs the Post Office moved me to tears and if anyone needs an award it’s Mr. Bates.
It appears this is not an original idea as Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has actually come up with the same conclusion. The man is more worthy than anyone.
So why such a visceral response to a 70 year old man from a tiny village in the north of Wales who has fought a hopeless case for 20 years. Leadership is the reason and there is something absolutely amazing about Mr. Bates.
Mr. Bates has an attitude that screams “If it is going to be, its up to me”. He states simply that “someone had to do something” and he took the lead.
He did it for decades. The man had perseverance. This story goes back to 1999 and he kept going and going and just 2 weeks ago he was put forward for the Freedom of Liverpool Award because his “resilient and determined campaigning against injustice lies in the heart and DNA of this city’s daughters and sons” and the heart of Mr Bates.
Alan Bates
He is intelligent and I love how intelligence appears from the least obvious places. Many Australians know this. Perhaps you are a descendant from relatives who had little or no education. I am told that many could not even spell their own names. When opportunity arises, intellect flourishes. My understanding is that Mr Bates was a sub-postmaster from a small fishing village in north Wales at Craig-y-Don, Llandudno and today he is a well-informed legal mind in the UK.
He has faced the worst of the worst from corporate bullying and shone through. I have watched him interviewed and seen endless photos and, while he obviously hugely concerned, never in the face of total stupidity or arrogance does he revert to aggression. His face never crinkles into anger, even though it has aged over the years. He never curls his lip or thrusts his jaw or tightens his eye. He keeps it steady at all times.
Watching the Post Office Horizon Inquiry is riveting viewing it makes you cringe to see the incompetence of some of the staff and the arrogance of some of the organisations leaders who were not abreast of information and made endless excuses. Simply staggering. One staff member had not one fact right either now or in the past.
He has a sense of humour. He is seen often joking with his wife in the movie as a reflection fob his character. There was little funny here, but he never lost it.
He has kept his team (dare I say Claque) on board.
Lastly, he knew the value of being visible. While the case had run behind the scenes for a long time, the power of getting a movie out had an incredible impact. It was a stroke of genius. The payout has now gone from 56 million pounds to an estimated one billion and this was all a result of the television 4 part series.
Other examples lately are Craig McRae, in the Collingwood movie ‘Take the Steps’. Collingwood embraces Ancient Rome in its three-word title. They have latin mantras, the Collingwood army (their claque), the acclamations of low slow chant of ‘Collingwood’ and their tangible manifestation of success in a ladder where they came from 11th on the ladder to winners and they did a lot right to get there.
Taylor Swift also embraced a lot of the techniques of ancient Rome: a heart gesture, palpable bracelets, audience acclamations, a claque in the swifties and more.
In my recently published book, Gravitas, it’s Mr. Bates for Emperor! A knighthood for Craig and all the adoration she deserves to Taylor Swift.
Let me know your thoughts.
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