Montgomery MP Lembit Opik tells Andy Richardson why his high profile helps keep him in touch with voters

Lembit Opik didn’t set out to be a high profile MP. The member for Montgomeryshire is best known by some for his relationships with a weather presenter and Cheeky Girl and his regular appearances on TV.

However, the 44-year-old politician, who was elected in 1997, says his “friendly” style of politics has helped make Mid Wales a better place.

During an extended interview Mr Opik discussed his life in the spotlight, his public image, the long-running row over MPs’ expenses, plans to close Powys schools, the ban on fox hunting, community issues and his new-found faith in a Newtown church.

Mr Opik said: “I didn’t set out to have a high profile as an MP but it’s kind of ended up that way. Is it a good thing? It’s for others to judge but I will say this: If I go into the pub and there are 20-year-olds there, they’ll talk to me.

“I think that’s a connection which is really important. It’s the only way that we get those disenfranchised groups to connect.

“I’m just the person I am and haven’t really changed much in the 13 years I’ve been an MP. I hope people like the service. They can judge me by my results.”

Mr Opik said the biggest issue facing his constituency presently was proposals to axe schools. He said: “My judgement is quite simple. The education system in Powys is part of our crown jewels. The secondary schools are absolutely outstanding. They are some of the best in Britain, let alone Wales.”

Mr Opik said he thought some courses might have to be axed, but schools should stay open. He said: “In summary, let’s keep the schools and the sixth forms but let’s cut our cloth according to what’s feasible and what’s affordable.

“That’s really what the public wants and that makes sense educationally as well. The-se proposals would make some young people have to travel 60 miles a day. My advice to parents, teachers and students is the same: Don’t panic. We will come through this.

“I don’t think that the council will shut any schools because the councillors will see it is politically impossible.”

Mr Opik said the most important part of his work was constituency-based. Issues like health, homelessness, transport and hunting were key.

He said he was opposed to the ban on fox hunting. “My view on the current ban is that it is ineffective, it is very badly written and it really hasn’t stopped hunting anyway, just as we predicted. It was a complete disaster. It was based on prejudice, not fact.

“In reality, foxes are a pest. They may look pretty, but they are pretty vicious. It was never about whether we kill foxes or not, but how.”

Mr Opik said he was frustrated that the press focused on his regular media work, his relationships and other issues, rather than his constituency work.

He said: “Unfortunately, the British press seem to have detached themselves from the need to be fair and balanced. Sometimes I’m tremendously surprised at how shameless they are in misrepresenting individuals and that doesn’t just go for me, that goes for other people too.”

Mr Opik said he saw no conflict of interest in attacking certain sections of the press while having a column in The Daily Sport, for which he is paid up to £5,000 per year.

He said: “It’s the easiest and laziest thing in the world for journalists to simply say all politicians are liars or we’re all in it for the money. It’s misrepresenting the reality to portray all MPs as coming here for the money, it’s just not true.

“I write for The Daily Sport because that means a million people get the chance to read a fundamentally positive column which tries to explain real issues in straightforward ways. It’s real politics to people who sadly many journalists and many commentators sneer at. I don’t sneer at those people.

“If you look at the history of The Daily Sport it has spread much less fear and hate than The Daily Mail. I know which one I think has done more damage to society and society’s outlook.”

Mr Opik said he was infuriated that some people dwelled solely on his former relationships with TV weather girl Sian Lloyd and Cheeky Girl Gabriela Irimia, as well as his ‘is he? isn’t he?’ relationship with model Katie Green. He added that if people called him a lothario they were being defamatory.

Mr Opik added: “The general public I hope take a fairly warm view, particularly in Montgomeryshire, of the work that I do. They understand that most of the time I spend working for them.

“I do hundreds of political interviews every year and a handful of what you might call ‘celebrity’ interviews, which are fun. I don’t have a family. I’m not married. How much time does it take to do those things?

“Are we going to say that politicians who have families can’t be politicians because they spend dozens of hours every week distracted from their work?

“This is the preposterous situation we find ourselves in. What do we want from our politicians? Grey, characterless people who don’t have families, don’t have outside interests and don’t really do much at all apart from politics? I can tell you, if people like that ran the country we’d be in an even worse state than we are in.”

Mr Opik said he feared the expenses scandal would never die down, though he accepted mistakes had been made.

He added: “When Margaret Thatcher set up the expenses system in 1983 it was as a secret salary, partly because she didn’t have the courage to pay her MPs in a more honest way. There was almost been a conspiracy of silence here in the last 27 years as that system has continued.”

He said the best way to resolve the issue was by doing away with the entire system and introducing a proper MP’s salary.

Mr Opik added that he had found happiness by attending church in Newtown. He said: “I’m more settled now than I have been for years. In a large part that’s because I’m more spiritually centered than I have been.

“I spend time at Hope Community Church, Newtown, which is an evangelical church, with some of the least judgemental and warmest people it’s ever been my pleasure to meet in a church environment.

“That makes me far from perfect. In fact, I have to say, if God is letting me into the church, it means he is not very discriminating. But that should give hope to millions of other people too.”