About Lembit Öpik

Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire 1997 - 2010

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Lembit Opik was born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland on 2 March 1965, the son of Estonian parents whose families had fled from Stalin. He attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, then read Philosophy at Bristol University, where he gained a 2.1 in 1987. He was President of the Student Union (1985-6) and an NUS National Executive Member (1987-88).

In 1988 he joined Procter and Gamble in Newcastle upon Tyne as a Brand Assistant. He soon moved on from developing brands to developing people, becoming Corporate Training and Organisation Development Manager in 1991. He was promoted to Global Human Resources Training Manager in 1996. Lembit was elected to the Liberal Democrats' Federal Executive Committee in 1991, and to Newcastle City Council in 1992. He stood in Newcastle Central in the 1992 General Election and in the largely rural seat of Northumbria in the 1994 European Elections.

In September 1996, Lembit was selected as the new Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Montgomeryshire, to replace retiring MP Alex Carlile QC. In the May 1997 General Election, he was elected as MP for Montgomeryshire. He was re-elected in June 2001 with an increased majority in percentage terms.

In May 1997, Lembit became the Party Spokesman on Northern Ireland and for Young People. In 2001 he became the Spokesman for Wales, and a member of Charles Kennedy's Shadow Cabinet. He has worked hard to raise issues affecting Montgomeryshire in Parliament, including rural policing, the cost of fuel, train services, and the future of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. He is also a strong supporter of the Liberal Democrats efforts to get a better deal for pensioners and for students.

In the 2001-2005 Parliament, Lembit was a member of the Agriculture Select Committee in the House of Commons, raising issues including over-regulation, red tape, the high cost of welfare regulations on small abattoirs, and direct help for new entrants. Since the 2005 General Election Lembit has sat on the Northern Ireland Grand Select Committee in the House of Commons.

Locally, Lembit has worked alongside Mick Bates to press for long-term measures to combat flooding problems faced by Montgomeryshire residents. He campaigned successfully to lower the water levels at Clywedog reservoir, and works closely with the Environment Agency over flooding risks and anti flood measures.

He has also spoken out in support of Post Offices and small local businesses, and attended last year's massive Post Office march in London. To show how important these facilities are to their communities, Lembit brought Wales Office Minister David Hanson to visit Llandinam and Llanfyllin Post Offices.

Lembit has played a prominent role in the recent debate on the future of foxhunting, being a key member of the Middle Way Group - whose proposals for a statutory hunting authority aim to balance animal welfare considerations against the importance of individual freedoms.

On April 13th 1998, Lembit came close to death in a near fatal paragliding accident. He fell about 80 feet onto a Welsh mountain in his constituency, and broke his back in 12 places, as well as his ribs, sternum and jaw. This near-death experience has caused him to take a keen interest in the Spinal Injuries Association, of which he is a member. Despite the accident, Lembit continues with his interest in aviation. He has a pilot's licence and speaks for British Gliding in the House of Commons. Lembit also rides motorcycles and lobbies for the interests of bikers when the opportunity arises.

Lembit lost his seat to Conservative Glyn Davies in the 2010 General Election.