Could this man one day be London Mayor?
Friday 17th June 2011, 2:55PM BST.
Mayor of London hopeful and former Mid Wales MP Lembit Opik has said he is the only Liberal Democrat that has the public profile to compete with incumbent Boris Johnson and Labour’s Ken Livingstone for the job.
Best known for his colourful life outside of Parliament and a string of showbiz girlfriends including the ITV weather presenter Sian Lloyd, Cheeky Girl Gabriela Irimia and lingerie model Katie Green, Mr Opik, 46, revealed his intentions to run for London mayor to the Shropshire Star last June.
Since then, he has been trying to keep his diary free so that he can throw all his energies into campaigning for the Lib Dem candidacy.
This has caused him some financial strife with no full-time job since he lost his Montgomeryshire seat to Tory Glyn Davies last year.
The deadline for other Lib Dem hopefuls to enter the race closes today.
London Assembly member Mike Tuffrey and former police chief Brian Paddick have also thrown their hats into the ring.
Asked what qualities he believed the Lib Dem candidate should have yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg joked: “Glasses and an Estonian/Welsh background.”
Mr Opik later said he had been assured the leadership was neutral following reports of a plot to line up an alternative candidate.
He said: “It is obvious to me that you have to have a high public profile to compete with Ken and Boris.”
Most Commented
- Shropshire Council will face £8m redundancy bill
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
lol he will have cheeky look if he does lol
Report abuse
I doubt folk in london will take him seriously.
Report abuse
He’s a chancer, a bandwagon jumper, a self publicist, a celebrity totty chaser, smug, conceited, hubristic and a raving liberal. Could be the man for the job.
Report abuse
No.
Report abuse
He stands a good chance;right now,the Cheeky Gabs is single:is Opik hiding something from us?
Report abuse
He might be OK for the job.
What’s that cheeky topic?Are they back together?I would vote for that :-)!
Report abuse
Well, on the principle of “Buggin’s Turn”, after Livingstone and Johnson the London Assembly Circus must be due for a Lib Dem clown.
Still, if it doesn’t work out for him he could always apply here: http://bit.ly/iXCEQL with his exploding Segway act….
Report abuse