Lembit Opik may no longer be an MP, but he has plenty of plans for the future.

The morning after the night before should have been an afterglow of champagne-fuelled celebration. Lembit Opik, one of the nation’s most high-profile MPs of the last decade, was planning to extend his 13-year run as the MP for Montgomeryshire.

Instead, he was holed up in a London studio with Paul Merton and Ian Hislop, regarding a post-election broadcast of Have I Got News For You. Lembit had lost his Montgomeryshire seat to Conservative rival Glyn Davies, who achieved a dramatic 13.2 per cent swing to wipe out the Lib Dem’s 7,000-strong majority.

“Frankly, when I lost, it was pretty devastating,” says Lembit. “I didn’t expect it.”

Most fallen MPs retreat into the shadows once their political career is over. Lembit, however, had never fallen into the category of “most MP’s”. His unique approach to politics meant that in his hour of defeat, he found himself in even greater demand than before.

“I didn’t expect the level of interest to continue at an increased level,” he admits.

“I suppose my public status was less to do with my role as an MP than it was to do with being Lembit Opik.”

The immediate aftermath of Lembit’s defeat was memorable for his grace and poise. He was magnanimous in defeat, warmly embracing Mr Davies and wishing him well. And he was dismissive of the BBC’s Election Night Rottweiler, Jeremy Paxman, who suggested his defeat had been caused by his dalliance with a celebrity lifestyle and Cheeky Girl girlfriend.

“I don’t seem to have resentment or self-pitying software in my head. Failure was always an option. If you’re a politician, the prospect of defeat is always a risk. If you’re not prepared to contemplate that you shouldn’t stand.

“I was sad because I enjoyed my work. But I was beaten and that’s that. I didn’t need a recount. If I seemed gracious, it’s because of how I felt at the time. I wish my successor well, that’s how I would want to be treated in the same position. It was a real shock. The Conservative vote rocketed up by around 6,000 and ours fell by around 2,000.

“The vote I had would have won me any of the previous elections that I stood in. I’ve asked myself whether it would have been any different if I’d lived life differently and had less celebrity status. I’m not convinced, however, that it would.

“In 1979, when we lost the seat to the Conservatives, it was in similar circumstances. There was an outgoing Labour Government and a big surge in Conservative support. Montgomeryshire was part of the collateral damage then and it was again in May. Perhaps some people would have voted against me because I was a high-profile MP, but others would have voted for me for the exact same reason.”

Mixture

Lembit experienced a mixture of satisfaction and discontent as he saw his former Liberal Democrat colleagues negotiating their way into ministerial seats. It was difficult to escape the feeling that it should have been . . . could have been . . . and yet, it wasn’t.

“I could see from the day after the election that the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition was the likely outcome. Labour were exhausted, they needed to be in opposition.

“I don’t think I’d have been given a ministerial post immediately. But I think during the lifetime of this Parliament, there would have been a good chance.”

Instead of talking with Danny Alexander, Nick Clegg, David Laws and David Cameron, among others, Lembit found himself in self-deprecating mode on Have I Got News For You.

“That was tough, really tough. Within a few hours of losing the election I was there. It was difficult to do, but I didn’t want to mope.

“I’m getting a lot of media work and interest in me in as an individual. But I’ve not made any hard and fast decisions about the future. I’m still in the process of tidying up, disposing of confidential materials and getting rid of my parliamentary operation. I don’t know what the best thing to do is.”

Advice

Oona King, the former Blair babe who was synonymous with New Labour and, like Lembit, surprisingly lost her seat, offered the former Montgomeryshire member advice. She told him to consider his options and not to jump at the first thing that came along. Like Oona, who is hoping to stand in London’s 2012 Mayoral race, Lembit is planning a political renaissance.

“Oona advised me to take a break, which seems good advice. There are media options and there’s the stand-up, which is good fun. There’s writing, too. I’ve written a lot of my autobiography, the first volume, and I’m continuing with that. The fact I say first volume means I believe there’ll be another. I’m optimistic about the future.”

Comedy, writing and entertainment, however, have always been a sideline.

“The core driver in me is to make social change. Comedy or entertainment on its own just isn’t enough. It’s not substantial enough. So whatever else I do there’ll be a political narrative. I’ll be drawn into the political world again. I’ve got too much connection with it to walk away.

“I won’t work in party headquarters because I’m not that tribal. I could be an MP again or become involved in a different political arena. I love Montgomeryshire and people in the constituency have been immensely supportive and warm.

“I’m basically sorting out my flat in London. It’s like a warehouse of stuff at the moment. I’m taking time to do domestic things and connect computers, weed the back yard and so on. They are simple things but they are very restorative. Something always comes around and nobody died in the making of this result.

“I’ve still got my passion for public service.”

Such passion could include a tilt at becoming London mayor, if his plans to stand again in Montgomery don’t pan out. He’ll tell us more in his autobiography, which will bring new revelations of Lembit’s life.

“Volume One will start on March 2, 1965, and end on May 6, 2010. There’ll be lots of new stuff. It’ll be my side of it. But there will be a volume two.”

Given Lembit’s colourful track record, that does not seem to be in doubt.

By Andy Richardson