The Liberal Democrats have a ‘perception problem’ with business, which believes the party lacks influence and peddles tokenist policies, the Lib Dem business spokesman has admitted.

Lembit Opik claimed his new role shadowing the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was a chance to build new relations with employers. “If they don’t like how the Lib Dems have done business before, there’s a chance for them to help me put it right,” the MP told the Financial Times.

Business has tended to invest relatively little effort in lobbying the Lib Dems, although the party could hold the balance of power if there were a hung parliament after the next election. Lib Dem policies – such as their adamant opposition to nuclear power and advocacy of higher taxes for private equity partners – are seen as evidence of a wider hostility to the corporate world.

Mr Opik insisted his party’s stance towards business was changing, saying: “I think our policies have been reasonably good, and certainly have improved a lot in the last five years.”

But he admitted the Lib Dems had a long way to go. “We have a perception problem in the business community for two reasons. Number one, I’ve heard business people say some of our policies are tokenist to them. Number two, I think business hasn’t always thought of us as very important in parliament in terms of our relative influence. I’d like to change both of those things.”

Sceptics might argue that party leader Sir Menzies Campbell’s choice of business spokesman in last month’s Lib Dem reshuffle reflects his party’s failure to take industry seriously. Mr Opik is a tabloid and TV regular, famed for his concern about asteroids hitting the earth, his uncanny knack of backing the wrong horse in Lib Dem leadership races and – above all – his love life. Mr Opik’s relationships – with Sian Lloyd, the weather presenter, and now Gabriela Irimia of the Cheeky Girls – have garnered him a level of media attention most Lib Dems can only dream about.

But he denied his appointment sent a negative signal to employers. “Business doesn’t say that. Only people in the media ask me that . . . Industry looks at my record in business and what I say in meetings, not who I’m going out with,” he said. “What a grey world it would be if you can’t be an interesting person and . . . do an important job.”

The MP cited his nine years at Procter & Gamble before entering Westminster in 1997, as well as the small aircraft brokerage firm he set up last year, as evidence of his business credentials.

Mr Opik last week denied he wanted to be Lib Dem candidate for mayor of London, but he does want to advance in his party. Confirming that he intends to run for president when Simon Hughes’s term in office expires next year, Mr Opik said he harboured no ambitions to succeed Sir Menzies.

“I’ll leave the leadership for people who want the leadership as much as I want the presidency.”