This weekend Jonathan Calder brought us the news that Lembit Öpik had contrived an appearance in a wrestling ring at Welshpool Town Hall. Distressingly, video footage has now been unleashed:
Ironically, today’s the day another Lembit story has appeared — that the former Montgomeryshire MP has thrown his hat into the ring for the role of Northumbria police and crime commissioner:
Mr Opik, a former Newcastle councillor, added: “The ball is definitely in the regional party’s court. But I have always said Newcastle is my favourite city in the world and it would be no hardship at all to fly the flag in the North East. … It would take a lot of persuading to get me to stand as an independent. It is not about me, it is about a certain philosophy, which is the liberal philosophy.” …
On his blueprint for the role, Mr Opik said: “The commissioner job is really one of oversight and governance than operational detail. “But in my opinion, it would be sensible to me to do all I could to reduce the administrative burden on our officers and to nurture a community approach to law and order.” The most cohesive communities were the safest, said Mr Opik who also promised not to “meddle” if elected as Northumbria police chief.
Carol Woods, chair of the Lib Dems regional party and a Durham County councillor, said: “We are still in the process of making a decision and I am not at liberty to comment until we have.”
* Stephen Tall is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice, and editor of the 2013 publication, The Coalition and Beyond: Liberal Reforms for the Decade Ahead. He is also a Research Associate for the liberal think-tank CentreForum and writes at his own site, The Collected Stephen Tall.
