Lembit Opik failed to declare £2,400 from lobbying firm because "the work had no bearing on being an MP"

Lembit Opik has been caught out, again.

He was named during a select committee hearing by Luther Pendragon's Mike Grannatt (of Speakergate) as an occasional employee of his lobbying firm (which represents Boeing, the Diocese of London and the Association of Healthcare Industries) as "a freelance presentation trainer, largely to help train younger staff on the skills required, for example, during a pitch".

But PR Week spotted that there was nothing about this in Opik's entry in the Register of Members' Interests.

Challenged why there was nothing registered, he told the Western Mail: "I did not consider that the work I did for Luther Pendragon had any bearing on my role as an MP."

But he adds: “On reflection, I have now decided it was appropriate to register the payments, and last week I sent a letter confirming they had been made to me." Just as well, since the rules say that the obligation on MPs to report their outside earnings is "absolute".