Lembit Opik hires PR firm

Lembit Opik (pictured), the distinctly odd MP who once dated a member of the Cheeky Girl pop duo, is leaving nothing to chance in his bid to become president of the Liberal Democrat Party. In a move to claw back a soupcon of political credibility, he has employed at his own expense the swanky PR outfit Bell Pottinger to spearhead his campaign and, he no doubt hopes, to make him seem a little less absurd in the eyes of the world.

The man in charge of this (some would say near impossible) task is Richard Clein, who heads the company's Liverpool operation. He says he has known Opik for 15 years and believes he is “an established brand”. He adds: “Lembit is a serious politician who has held a number of portfolios and who can attract new people to the Liberal Democrats."

The move, according to the Independent, is unlikely to bother Opik's presidential rival, Baroness Ros Scott. She says: "He has said in the past that he is king of the media so I'm surprised he needs it. I won't be needing a PR though, as I've got nothing to spin."

The first public relations obstacle Opik had to overcome emerged yesterday when the Sun claimed he would be appearing on the next series of Celebrity Big Brother. Wearing his serious hat, Opik said: "I'm afraid I am not interested." Not for now, at least.