Independent gets it wrong too !

The Independent leads a report on conference with the price of Miriam Clegg's dress, followed by "Come back Lembit, the party needs you    What the conference has missed is Lembit Opik, the ex-MP".  No, no,no - or as King Lear Lear put it: "Never, never, never, never, never".

The piece continues with " Ian Wrigglesworth... held the stage immediately before Clegg".  Well, he was on the stage and he did better than Sarah Teather, but "held" it ?  I don't think so.

The writer finishes by praising Charles Kennedy.   He was right about one thing - Charlie wasn't there.  Years ago when Kennedy was a new MP, I met a man on the Isle of Skye who praised their previous MP, Russell Johnston, for ten minutes without stopping.  Finally I said, "And now you have a new MP" and he thought for a moment before replying gently, "Aye, Mr Kennedy has his good points as well."  So they tell me.

Opik: Sad when the lust for publicity turns to masochism

This is when a great weight landed on Lembit Opik and broke his ribs, two minutes after he entered the wrestling ring in Welshpool.  Lembit's poor judgement and lust for publicity, which cost him his seat in Montgomeryshire, continue to dog his life.   After the match, he commented, "I think I need to think about what I am doing in future, because I think I may have gone a step too far this time."     As a child of ten might say, "Well duh ! You think so ?"  Perhaps if Lembit had learned that lesson long ago, Montgomeryshire would still have a Liberal MP.


I am not a fight fan and I do wonder about people who enjoy this spectacle.  After Lembit's opponent, Kade Callous, threw him on the floor he stood looking on while the crowd urged him to do more, which he did as the picture shows.  In the video you can hear the mob cheering and one man shouting "Stomp him !" repeatedly, after he had been stomped already.   According to the Shropshire Star, one fan commented "It was the best show we have seen in Welshpool in my 35 years.”.   A fight that lasts two minutes between grotesquely unequal opponents is "the best show" ?????   Clearly life in Welshpool could be better.

Bumps on the head ? The face of evil ?

What is it about physiognomy and fascism ? Can you really judge a man by his boat ? Look here at these chaps. OK, the prat on the right could be in any party, even mine. After all, we've got Lembit Opik. The chap on the left, however, could only be a fascist, couldn't he ? He could be a Tory of course, but actually he's Barry Bennett, BNP Euro-candidate in the South-West, whose opinions include: "David Beckham is not white, he's a black man." and "... whatever's good enough for Hitler's good enough for me. God rest his soul." For more lowdown on the low-lifes of the BNP, see yesterday's Observer.

The ode less travelled - Opik the poet

This morning Lembit Opik read out something described as an ode to caravaning. At least it didn't mention Margaret Beckett. For future composition, I do recommend Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Travelled . Meanwhile keep the day job, Lembit.