Should Lembit offer sartorial 'tips' to Assembly Members

Great story in Telegraph today about the Welsh Assembly Commission spending £10,000 on giving tips to Assembly Members on how to dress properly. Probably a bit of journalistic licence in the report, but it made me laugh. Pity it wasn't available when I was an AM. Try as I did, I was always a touch scruffy. Still am. A bit of dress tutoring might have made the difference. But then, Rhodri Morgan was a bit scruffy too, and it did him no harm. Both of us looked particularly shaggy when in need of a haircut. Now on the other hand there was the sartorial elegance of Lord Elis Thomas and the colourful flamboyance of Rhodri Glyn Thomas to set a higher standard. His Lordship was always one for Bond St. stylishness. And Tory AM, David Melding, who has been defending the spending today, was always quite a snappy dresser himself. Expect Tory leader, Andrew RT Davies to always be kitted out in vertical stripes in future.

The Assembly Commission could have recruited cheaper advice from former Montg. MP, Lembit Opik who has recently launched The London Academy Business School, where he offers himself as  a guru on public speaking and presentational skills. Am told he charges £149.00 for a 2 hr course. Its advertised as a 'personal and tailored experience' and 'provides tips to make your presentation sparkle'.  OK, I know he didn't look too good when that wrestler had him in a headlock, but I remember Lembit as always quite well turned out. He's seemed a bit unsure of career direction for a while, but could be that the desire of AMs to smarten themselves up creates an opportunity for Lembit to use his skills for the benefit of Welsh politics again.