Lord Ashdown criticised for offering himself as a voiceover artist

Lord Ashdown said today his agents had suggested that he do a voice test after he recorded an audio version of his book

The Soho Voices voiceover agency praised Lord Ashdown’s ‘calm, distinctive tones’ (Getty)

Lord Ashdown has been criticised by some Liberal Democrat activists for offering himself as a voiceover artist – at a time when he is meant to be masterminding his party’s general election campaign.

The former Liberal Democrat leader, who once served in the Royal Marines, has signed up with a London-based company to promote products, services and organisations with his “calm distinctive tones”.

“Paddy is a genuine voice of reason in the modern age and his calm distinctive tones bring real gravitas to any conversation”, the Soho Voices website promises. It does not publish his hourly rate.

But not all Lib Dems are impressed by the peer’s new career path. “It is concerning that, 100 days before the election, the chair of our general election campaign may not be giving 100 per cent to the campaign but pursuing a voiceover career instead,” said Naomi Smith, chairwoman of Social Liberal Forum, a the grassroots activist group.

Lord Ashdown said today his agents had suggested that he do a voice test after he recorded an audio version of his book, The Cruel Victory.