Lembit Öpik
Lembit Öpik (/ˈlɛmbɪt ˈoʊpɪk/, Estonian: [ˈlembit ˈøpˑik]; born 2 March 1965) is a former British politician. A former member of the Liberal Democrats, he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Montgomeryshire in Wales from 1997 until he lost his seat at the 2010 general election. He was the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats from 2001 to 2007.
Lembit Öpik | |
|---|---|
Öpik in 2006 | |
| Liberal Democrat Spokesman for Housing | |
| In office 20 December 2007 – 24 September 2008 | |
| Leader | Nick Clegg |
| Preceded by | Paul Holmes |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Teather |
| Liberal Democrat Spokesman for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform | |
| In office 4 July 2007 – 20 December 2007 | |
| Leader | Menzies Campbell |
| Preceded by | Susan Kramer |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Teather |
| Liberal Democrat Spokesman for Wales and Northern Ireland | |
| In office 26 January 2004 – 4 July 2007 | |
| Leader | Charles Kennedy Menzies Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Alistair Carmichael (Lib Dem Spokesman for Northern Ireland) Roger Williams (Lib Dem Spokesperson for Wales) |
| Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats | |
| In office 17 September 2001 – 13 October 2007 | |
| Leader | Charles Kennedy Sir Menzies Campbell |
| Preceded by | Richard Livsey |
| Succeeded by | Mike German |
| Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire | |
| In office 2 May 1997 – 12 April 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Alex Carlile |
| Succeeded by | Glyn Davies |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 March 1965 Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Independent (2021–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Welsh Liberal Democrats (1991–2021) |
| Domestic partner(s) | Gabriela Irimia (2006–2008); Sabina Vankova (from 2015) |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol |
Öpik stood unsuccessfully for the position of President of the party in 2004 and 2008. He was also unsuccessful in a bid to become the Liberal Democrats' nominee in the 2012 London mayoral election.
Beyond his political work, Öpik has also been in the public eye through his appearances on several television shows and as a result of his personal relationships with ITV weather presenter Siân Lloyd and with pop star Gabriela Irimia of The Cheeky Girls, which drew considerable media attention.