 Lembit �pik won 49% of the votes in his seat at the last election |
MP Lembit �pik has launched his campaign to become Liberal Democrat president by promising to motivate his party. The Montgomeryshire MP with a high public profile says he wants to consult closely with the grassroots.
Mr �pik was joined at his official launch at Westminster by his fianc�e, ITV weather presenter Si�n Lloyd, who forecast "sunny days ahead".
The result of the ballot will be known on 1 September.
 |  Work is my mistress and hopefully Si�n will be my wife  |
Mr �pik, who is 39, hopes to succeed Lord Dholakia in a job which has previously been held by party leader Charles Kennedy. But he denied there was any competition between him and the party leader.
"There is no competition between me and Charles. There can't be. My job is to serve Charles," he said.
"I see the leader of the party as the captain of the ship. He sets the direction.
"The president is the chief engineer who makes sure that the direction set by the leader of the party is achieved."
Born in Northern Ireland to Estonian parents and educated in Belfast and Bristol, he stood for election in the north-east of England before becoming an MP in mid Wales in 1997.
 Si�n Lloyd was in the second series of I'm a Celebrity... |
He worked as a manager with the multi-national company Proctor and Gamble before full-time politics, and is an accomplished media performer on the likes of Have I Got News for You on the BBC. He is guaranteed a busy time: he and Ms Lloyd plan to marry in summer 2005, probably after the next general election.
But if he lands the presidency, he may have to give up his other party posts as a spokesman on Wales, Northern Ireland and young people.
At the moment Mr �pik is the only candidate for the two-year post of president, and the bookmaker Jack Brown has made him 2-1 to get the job.
Nominations close on 30 June and if there is a contest there will be an all-member ballot of the party.
However, MP Simon Hughes, the defeated Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor, has indicated he will announce on Friday, after consulting with colleagues, whether he will contest the post.
The Lib Dems gained their first council leader in Wales on Wednesday when Cheryl Green became head of Bridgend Council. Labour lost control of Bridgend in the council elections on 10 June and the Lib Dems are the second biggest party, with 13 of the 53 seats. Her deputy is Conservative David Anderson.
Wrexham Council, which is under no overall control, also has a new leader: Neil Rogers, who has replaced Shan Wilkinson as head of the Labour group. 
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