Alan Bates is a British campaigner and former subpostmaster. He was the subpostmaster at Craig-y-Don, Llandudno from March 1998 until November 2003. He is known for being a founder of and campaigner for the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) in the British Post Office scandal.
Born in Liverpool, Bates studied graphic design in Wrexham, and has lived in Newcastle, Cardiff and Exeter, working in project management. He said in early 2024 that he had declined an appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his campaigning, because Paula Vennells, a former Post Office Limited CEO, was still a Commander of the order (CBE). Bates's campaign was dramatised in the 2024 television series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, in which he was played by Toby Jones.
In January 2024, Bates said he would reject a compensation offer from the government, describing it as 'derisory'.
