Or could his comments actually help the DPM?

The LD MP who suffered by far the biggest defeat at the general election, Lembit Opik, is saying that if Nick Clegg is still leader of his party at the general election then they will lose a lot more MPs.

This is what he said in support of a book “The Alternative View” that he has co-authored:

” After a year of research, [we] have concluded that Nick cannot realistically lead the party into the next election without incurring an additional contraction in the number of MPs – directly as a result of his leadership. We have also identified the lack of a political narrrative which was left the party drifting in an identity vacuum while, by contrast, the Conservatives have been remarkably effective at maintaining their focus and image.”

Lembit’s comments come just four days before the party’s Spring Conference in Gateshead.

The great plus for Clegg is that after a period when Opik seemed more interested in getting media attention for his “outside activities” his credibility within the party is not high. In fact he has a history of associating with losers and so the phrase “The curse of Lembit” emerged.

But does he have a point? Would the LDs fare better with a different leader?

@MikeSmithsonOGH