Whilst Tomos Livingstone may have got the name of the paper that Lembit works for wrong, (it’s the Daily Sport not Daily Star) he is right to pick up on Nick Clegg’s comments that the Montgomeryshire MP is walking a tightrope.
Lembits practices have always been questionable, and whilst I think he will hold on to the seat (sorry Glyn), the fact that his own party leader is publicly distancing the Lib Dem from his actions is hardly the ringing endorsement he would want going as we start what could very well be an election year.
When I first heard Lembit was to be the intellectual standpoint of the Sport my initial reaction was that he was doing all he can to lose the seat in order to appear on a few more Big Brother/Celebrity Jungle type shows. You have to start questioning his political confidence after being humiliated in losing to an unknown in the presidential race and now being told by his boss that he’s walking a tightrope. If Glyn doesn’t win this election the you have to start questioning if he ever will. Lembit and the Lib Dems seem to be doing everything they can to help.
11 comments:
I like Lembit. Lots. He's a real individual, and while Nick Clegg may have answered yes when asked if our most eccentric MP is walking a tightrope, he never said he was doing a bad job of walking it. The thing is, Lembit is still committed to liberal causes, still concerned about his constituents, and still a brilliant orator. Does having a wacky side, or different views on how to reach the parts of the population most politicians don't bother with, make him bad at his job? I don't think so.
That’s a fair comment Staph, and certainly there is something to be said for a different style of politics. Having said that I would argue that Lembit's style, and writing for the daily sport doesn't really engage with the sort of electorate you would expect to find in Montgomeryshire. Yes a politician must be engaging and imaginative but surely the be all and end all is staying in touch and representing your constituents.
Personally I think Lembit is a likable politician and I think he is no doubt a nice man but I can't honestly say I can recall him ever taking a serious cause and running with it. Now that’s not to say he hasn't only that if he ever has I have either not heard about it or it has been lost in the mix of Celebrity Mr and Mrs, Daily Sport, Asteroid watching or mobile scooter protecting roles he plays. In that sense his "wacky side" as you put it does his political integrity a lot of damage.
I think that is a tad unfair Che.
Everytime I have seen Lembit of question time, I have seen him answer productively, ask pertinent questions and broadly garnered the applause of the audience.
The fact is that he is now tarnished, by his own and the media’s doing.
Your point on the Daily Sport misses the fact that many working men read that paper, which does make your comment seem a bit elitist.
People like Lembit Opik provide personality when politicians are increasingly managerial policy wonks without any experience of the real world.
I am not saying that Lembit isn't an able politician Marcus. I would agree that when he does the serious stuff, i.e when he speaks rationally on Question Time he makes some valid points and conducts himself well. What I am saying is that his other practices have caged that side of him. There isn't a particular issue of any serious worth I can think Lembit has made any impact on. The main campaigns I can think he has stood up for is legalising mobile scooters and protecting earth from asteroids. He has reached the point where if he has a valid point it would be difficult to convey it because of his previous antics. Agreed that politicians need personality but there needs to be a balance with professionalism that I think Lembit has failed to strike on many an occasion.
My point on the Daily Sport is that it doesn't appeal to Lembit's own electorate and is therefore another example of Lembit’s celebrity politics not connecting to the people he is meant to represent. I won't deny that I personally find the Daily Sport paper to be utter trash. However the point I am making is that it is not the sort of paper I would imagine to be widely read in Montgomeryshire. Granted I have not got the readership figures to confirm it but I am sure they are low.
Che,
Surely, for all its crap, the Sport is a national newspaper? It is a chance for a politician to write and communicate with an often ignored section of society? Do you suggest he says no to such an opportunity?
We can name lots and lots of politicians, particularly opposition ones, who have no issue that they have been prevalent on - so that points doesnt really stand either.
Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that he is an easy target, people can gossip and take the piss, particulatly online, and he cant win either way.
People are often quirky, make mistakes and politics lends itself to eccentrics. Much like ordinary people, Lembit is not a 'professional politico'...
Is sacked Welsh blogger Christopher Glamorganshire's tribunal next week?
"Surely, for all its crap, the Sport is a national newspaper? It is a chance for a politician to write and communicate with an often ignored section of society? Do you suggest he says no to such an opportunity?"
I would say yes. If he wants to have his style of politics taken seriously and respected then he should have said no to writing in the Sport. I don't think I’m being elitist to say that it's basically one step up from a top shelf publication. Even the Daily Star looks down on it!
"We can name lots and lots of politicians, particularly opposition ones, who have no issue that they have been prevalent on - so that points doesn’t really stand either."
That is a fair point but on the flip side for the most part of those people I couldn't reel off numerous things they have done that devalue the position of being an MP elected by people to represent them. That's my opinion of course but I certainly think Lembit for the most part does that through his celebrity antics.
I am not arguing that Lembit can't be intelligent or serious only that he has not done so in the past and has reached a point now where everything he does, good or bad is tainted, even in the eyes of his own party. He said himself that the presidential bid was a referendum on his politics. His own party then voted massively against him!
And for all your persuasive powers Marcus you will never convince me that Lembit is representing Montgomery shire the Lib Dems or politics generally but writing for the Daily Sport. Just a quick web search shows that their main headlines on today’s front page were,
"Lucy Pinder's Rude Phone Pics."
"Michelle: I'm going to strip!"
"Emma Nichols Unleashed Page 3!"
The argument going back and forth here is almost irrelevant because Lembit will probably lose his seat at the next election. Quite simply, people in Montgomeryshire have had enough of his antics. Steph, wacky doesn't cut it - Lembit has now gone beyond wacky and is regarded as a total idiot in his constituency. His PA in Newtown is in despair because she never knows where he is and is in total despair as regards his behaviour. The man is a law unto himself, in all sorts of respects.....most of them quite dodgy. The BBC are planning their OB units for the general election, and yes you guessed it, Montgomeryshire is one of the locations
Che.
I cant really comment on his constituency, as i have very little knowledge of the area.
I would imagine your views on that issue is anecdotal at best...
Anon:
I actually think Lembit will hold the seat. You never know but Glyn has failed before. He is well liked in the political blogsphere but in the area I don't think his profile will carry as much weight as us bloggers suggest. Also you have to remember Lembit has a big majority to overturn. Could be interesting though. Because its being built up so much if Glyn loses then there is the question of how damaging that loss is to Glyn's own political brand.
Marcus:
For the most part yes. I only have a brief knowledge of the electorate in that area but I would bet that I am fairly close to the picture to suggest that the Daily Sport is not widely read and his celebrity antics are not considered the norm!
When are we going to wake up and realise that the Welsh Lib Dems are a load of tossers?
Why do we bother even talking about them? They are useless!
Post a Comment