Yesterday’s Observer feature – the revealing ‘This much I know’ – featured ubiquitous Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik. Here’s a couple of excerpts:
The press has created for me a persona as a wacky guy who goes out with beautiful women, and there were times in my life when I would have paid for that image. But it really annoys me when people ring up and say: “What are you doing going out with so and so?” I could be banging [Plaid Cymru MP] Adam Price and it wouldn’t affect my ability to do my job.
I joined the Liberal Democrats when they had 3% support in the opinion polls, with a statistical variation of plus or minus 4%. It wasn’t a career move, more an act of faith.
My constituents Des and Doreen James’s daughter Cheryl died in Deepcut army barracks in 1995. They were immediately told it was suicide. I believe she, and others, were murdered and there has been a cover-up at the barracks and within the authorities. They claimed they lost the bullet that killed Cheryl – how can you lose the evidence at the centre of the forensic investigation? These things just beggar belief.
I’m one of 10 or 15 MPs who are well known – and it’s a privilege. I’m a slightly shy person, and it breaks the ice with people. People are like a battery to me: they give me energy.
You can read the interview in full HERE.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Green leader doubles down on Zionism is racism policy
The Joy of Six 1593
Do shouty politicians gain long term votes?
Rose Runswick
Tristan Ward
Katharine Pindar
tom arms
Andy Daer
7 Comments
‘Beautiful women’ Who?? A reality addicted weather woman and an opportunistic romanian tabloid ‘pop star’??
He’s so deluded.
And YES it matters how you are seen because it means you will not be taken seriously. You’re personal life is linked to who you are-the two are not exclusive, so the fact that you so flippantly and somewhat irrationally started dating some two bit ‘singer’ and snogging her all over the papers, doesn’t bode very well at all.
Oh dear, I may have to change Adam Price’s nickname in Y Barcud Oren (I may also have to go and wash my brain out with soap and water, cheers Lembit…)
In the actual Observer article, I think Lembit is wrong on the expenses scandal, and tends to underplay the damage it has done. He may be surprised by opinion in his own constituency.
Am I a fan of Lembit? No.
Does this feature make me warm to him? A tiny little bit….
I wish sometimes the conversion to liking him – for all that may matter – would happen but he will go and say something about the expenses scandal that flies totally in the wrong direction, or appear upset that his constituency work doesn’t appear in a magazine where of course it ruddy wouldn’t appear….
He has had a lot of chances to undo the persona *he* created (not the media), and I will concdede that recent appearances I have seen on BBC Parliament have made me realise that he *can* be a very serious and rounded parliamentary figure.
But it’s too late – the laughter he gets is mocking, not friendly.
I have said before that my membership card comes with responsibilities, one of which is to support the re-election of Liberal Democrat candidates. In the case of Lembit this support is terrifically difficult to provide.
Oh well,let him enjoy his last 10 months in the limelight.
Considering that his constituency is far safer than certain Labour and Tory majorities, I wouldn’t go flapping my lips about how I want big swings at the next elections, somehow.
Just a suggestion.
He’s wrong about Dylan being an excellent guitar player. Very wrong… he’s a decent (at best!) acoustic player and a TERRIBLE electric guitar player. A genius nonetheless!
Lembit annoys me a fair amount, mainly because it’s a little frustrating that he is probably the most recognisable Lib Dem MP. I met someone the other day who told me we as a party are a joke as Lembit is our leader… he was shocked to hear he is not.
Despite this, Lembit seems to me to be a nice guy with his heart in the right place. When talking serious politics, he usually comes across well… and that’s the main thing.