Tim Farron has sensationally quit the leadership of the Liberal Democrats this week to pursue a lifelong ambition to become a full time Judy Garland impersonator.

The famous contralto, Tim Farron, began his career as a singer aged 10 in 1980 after seeing a bootleg Betamax copy of The Wizard of Oz his Dad bought his sister.

“He was a very convincing Dorothy I must say.” Mr Farron’s music teacher Mr Holland told the Herald. “He had a healthy interest in musicals as a teenager.”

“He does an excellent  Velma Kelly too. We were all very impressed with his high kicks.”

Tim Farron gave up his dream of becoming a professional Judy Garland in 2005 when his mum made him run for Parliament as a Liberal Democrat for Westmorland and Lonsdale.

As a result he had to spend a little over 12 years pretending not to have outmoded views on abortion and religious hang ups about homosexuality.

“It has been difficult for Tim dealing with people’s intolerance of his intolerant views. He’s just delighted to be able to come out, if you will, as a lifelong Judy Garland aficionado and he is thrilled to finally be able to share his music with the world.” A Liberal Democrat spokesman told The Rochdale Herald earlier in the week.

His album, My Friend Dorothy, sees Tim cover all the Judy Garland classics including; The Man That Got Away, As Long As He Needs Me, Over The Rainbow and The Boy Next Door. It is available in all good religious book shops.

Quentin D Fortesqueue is a founding editor of The Rochdale Herald. Part time amateur narcissist and full time satirist Quentin is never happier than when playing his lute and drinking a full bodied Bordeaux. He rarely plays the lute and never gets to drink Bordeaux.