Opik: It's not just his girlfriend who's Cheeky

What seemed at first glance to be just a curious melding of clapped-out novelty pop and brain-crunching politics is starting to take on a new shading, as Lembit Opik turns out to have been lobbying to keep Gabriela Irimia in the country.

Apparently, the Home Office had decided during the summer that The Cheeky Girls be denied further leave to stay in the UK; Lembit had a word with immigration minister Liam Byrne when he met him in a corridor:

A Lib Dem spokesman said: "Lembit acted with total propriety with regard to this matter.

"He did what any MP would do, and referred the matter to the appropriate Member of Parliament.

"At no stage did he lobby anybody on this matter. He simply referred the issue through the relevant and proper channels."

So, that's good news then: if any of you have any immigration problems in the future, it turns out the "proper channels" is to get your boyfriend (or girlfriend) to hang about in Westminster and to "mention" the case to any passing immigration minister. Because, of course, otherwise that would mean that Opik was using his status to get special treatment for his honeypie, and Opik is, of course, an honourable man.

As it turns out, Romania joins the EU on January 1st, whereupon the Girls' problems will vanish - rather like their recording career did. So, if they can avoid deportation for ten days or so, they'll be fine.

Meanwhile, Gabriele has denied there's anything strange about the magical romance:

"Our relationship is really genuine and it's not out of a pantomime or anything like that.

"We understand each other really well and we are looking for a long relationship here."

Only a cynic would seize on the word "here" as being somehow key.

music cheeky girls lembit opik gabriela irimia