The couple first met at an engagement party

The Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrat MP and the ITV presenter are planning to tie the knot following the expected general election in the summer.

Ms Lloyd, 44, and Mr �pik, 39, have been together for two years but first met at an engagement party three years previously.

The announcement confirms rumours which have been circulating for weeks.

A spokesman for the couple said: "Si�n Lloyd and Lembit �pik MP have today announced their engagement.

"The wedding is to take place next summer 2005, after the general election."

The pair first appeared as a couple publicly at the Liberal Democrats conference in 2002.

At the time, Ms Lloyd told reporters she and Mr �pik had first met three years previously at an engagement party for BBC political correspondent Guto Harri.

'Unique' ring for Sian

The weather presenter was helping Mr �pik to learn Welsh, but has since said she has given up trying to teach him.

Former Brookside actor Stifyn Parri, who represents Ms Lloyd, said his firm would be helping her plan the wedding but there were no details at present of the likely venue.

"We can't divulge that until it's all sorted," he told BBC Wales' news website.

However, he added: "She wants me to sing at it.

"It'll probably be something traditionally Welsh and unaccompanied, so I don't have to rehearse with anyone else."

Harmonica

Ms Lloyd was one of the contestants on the second series of I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here.

But she was the first to be evicted after a week in the Australian camp.

Mr �pik, who was born in Northern Ireland and has represented Montgomeryshire since 1997, is currently the Welsh Liberal Democrat leader and is an expert in near-Earth objects such as asteroids or comets.

He has campaigned for the government to take the threat of a collision more seriously.

But politics does not take up all his time.

He has also flirted with the music charts - last year he released a joint country and western single on which he played harmonica.