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Lembit Opik turns to Bell Pottinger to secure Lib Dem presidency | Print |  Email to a friend
Wednesday, 01 October 2008

Colourful Liberal Democrat politician Lembit Opik has recruited the Liverpool office of Bell Pottinger to help him win the contest to be his party’s next president.
Colourful Liberal Democrat politician Lembit Opik has recruited the Liverpool office of Bell Pottinger to help him win the contest to be his party’s next president.

Opik is known in some media circles as much for his high profile ‘celebrity’ relationships as for his political track record. However, Richard Clein, the head of BP’s Liverpool arm, is all set to focus on his ability as a serious politician.

Clein sits alongside Opik on the party’s federal executive and will now be spearheading his media campaign.

He told How-Do that Opik, formerly engaged to Cheeky Girl Gabriela Irimia and ITV weather woman Sain Lloyd, was the perfect candidate to assume the presidency and chair the executive, a body comparable to Labour's national executive committee.

“Lembit is the right man to take on the role, motivate the party and furthermore attract new people to the Liberal Democrats,” said Clein.

Image
Clein
“He has a track record of 15 years on the federal executive and recent successes such as his role as housing spokesman (a position that gave him front bench status).”

Clein said that he had already secured Opik coverage in yesterday’s press with regard to the popularity of his Facebook group, and was now working hard to “position him as a serious candidate for the job” amongst the party electorate prior to the voting cut off date of 6 November.

His role was simple, he relayed to How-Do: “To get Lembit elected.”

When asked if Opik’s character and past media appearances might adversely affect the campaign, Clein dismissed such suggestions out of hand.

“Colour is a good thing,” he stated. “Politics needs more colourful characters.”

Image
A serious candidate
He continued: “Look at the case of Boris Johnson for example. Not long ago he was written off as being a joke and now he’s the major of London and, according to most reports, doing a pretty decent job.

“We’ll be focusing on the positive and serious things Lembit has achieved, but there’s nothing wrong with that ‘colour’ and profile. That can be used to attract new people to the party, which is a very good thing.”

Opik is up against Lady (Ros) Scott, the Lib Dem peer, and Chandila Fernando, a director of Liberal Vision, for the job.

He tried unsuccessfully to secure the presidency four years ago, coming in second to (now) outgoing incumbent Simon Hughes.

The term of the presidency is two years, with holders limited to two terms in the position.

The result of the current contest will be made public in the second week of November.

www.bellpottingernorth.co.uk

 

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  Comments (5)
RSS comments
 1 By Charlie, on 01-10-2008 10:54
Now that's a tough assignment...
 2 By Loggedoff, on 01-10-2008 11:34
Not that tough as he is aiming low, its presidency he is after not leadership. After all the presidents of the Tories or Labour hardly trips off the tongue.
 3 By Impressed, on 01-10-2008 13:37
On the PR side of things, well done to Bell Pottinger Liverpool - the small team they have there seems to be creating big things.
 4 By jab, on 01-10-2008 16:36
Lib Dem Pres? He's got a cheeky.
 5 By Smokejack Jones, on 06-10-2008 23:08
Selling a man's credentials to be the impending President of a party that has as much influence on British Political life as the Teletubbies?  
 
Hmm let's see, 
 
He's an anagram yet to be solved 
 
Once worked for a detergent company 
 
Sky dived headlong into the earth after forgetting to open his parachute 
 
Once dated a weather girl  
 
Lost his sense of humour on Have I got News for you 
 
Has comforted us all with his armaggedon view that an asteroid will surely hit us  
 
Is now more famous for dating one half of a crap Romanian girl band?  
 
Where's the hard work? 
 
Besides you've only got to convince about 30 people.  
 
I'll do it for half the price 
 
is Lib Dem Pres his cousin?

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