LEMBIT THE LOSER

Mr Opik admitted ahead of the poll that he feared members saw him as too much of a maverick and a “joker” to head the party.

He was battered into second place by the Lib Dem peer Ros Scott, who won comfortably with 20,736 votes to Mr Opik’s 6,247, to replace Simon Hughes.

The defeat caps a rotten year for the Montgomeryshire MP who was publicly dumped by his Cheeky Girl girlfriend, Gabriela Irimia and suffered the death of his closest friend, David Hamer, at the age of just 46.

Mr Opik sent an e-mail to all Lib Dem members last week insisting he was no “lightweight” and would put his “heart and soul” into the job.

He said: “With some humility, I can tell you I’ve learned to see why some folk are concerned about my presidency.

“Some fear I’ll be unpredictable, a wild one, or too involved in a profile outside politics.”