Lembit becomes ‘Head’ of new Space Kingdom

A Space Kingdom that hopes to have 150 million people living in space has appointed former Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Opik as its Head of Parliament.

It sounds like sci-fi, but it’s a totally serious project and the new country’s founders are even trying to get Asgardia recognised by the United Nations.

The dream is to recruit the “most creative” people on Earth as Asgardian citizens and then leave the planet behind forever - giving citizens a safe haven from nuclear war, drought or other environmental catastrophes here.

It claims to have already registered 200,000 citizens including British politicians, celebrities and businessmen.

The project is being bankrolled by Russian scientist and billionaire Igor Ashurbeyli, with the Space Kingdom of Asgardia becoming the world’s first “virtual nation” with its very own constitution, flag, anthem and sovereign territory on the Asgardia-1 Satellite, currently in orbit around the Earth.

Former Lib Dem heavyweight, Lembit (pictured), and current serving Conservative MP Nigel Evans, President of the British Parliamentary Space Committee, have been sworn into the ‘country’s’ 147-seat Parliament, with Lembit voted as the ‘Head of Parliament’.

“As the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, the country is liberated to invest in a truly global space community,” he is reported to have said. “Asgardia welcomes British citizens who share the dream of human opportunities in space for all countries, not just the privileged few who can afford a presence in space.”

Lembit has been involved in a number of projects since losing his Montgomeryshire seat to Tory, Glyn Davies, in the 2010 election. He failed in 2012 to become the Mayor of London, appeared in a music video for an indie band, and also performed as a wrestler.

The world’s first space nation and what it is saying:

“The plan is that we’ll colonise other planets or live on vast, life-sustaining space stations called arks - complete with high-tech, futuristic homes and verdant plants designed to reflect the comforts of life on Earth.

“That’s obviously a long way off, but so far Asgardia - named after the floating city of the gods in Norse mythology - has developed an anthem, constitution and an elected body of leaders.

“Anyone can vote for Asgardia's rulers or stand for election by applying for citizenship through their website (https://asgardia.space/en/), which just involves filling out a quick form.

“To become an official citizen, you just need to give a few basic personal details, as well as some information about your education, and then wait for your request to be approved.”