Alistair Carmichael

Biography:

Alistair Carmichael was re-elected as MP for Orkney and Shetland on May 7th 2015 with 9407 votes, taking 41.4% of the vote

Alistair Carmichael entered Parliament at his second attempt in 2001, holding the former seat of Jim Wallace and Jo Grimond.

Alistair was born on Islay to hill farming parents and read law at the University of Aberdeen. Before he became an MP he was an hotelier, a Procurator Fiscal Depute and a solicitor. Married to a vet, he has two young children, is an Elder of the Church of Scotland and enjoys amateur dramatics and music; he speaks both French and German.

As an MP his work on local issues includes: a petition to ‘Save the Pension Book’; the complexity of the benefits and tax credit system; the post office card account; the problems of nuclear waste and the need for a National Institute for Energy Technologies; the future use of Scapa Flow as a hub for the container trade; and the future of Shetland’s TA unit.

Alistair was appointed Shadow Transport Secretary in March 2006. Before that he was a member of the Home Affairs team. He is a member of the Scottish Affairs select committee and of the all party groups on fishing, offshore gas oil and gas, and telecommunications. He is a member of the Beveridge Group. In July 2007 Alistair was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Scotland, a post he has retained in Nick Clegg’s October 2008 cabinet changes..

Publication: Setting Communities Free (article for Liberator)

Education: Port Ellen Primary School, Islay High School, Aberdeen University – LLB & Dip LP

Experience: Former Solicitor, former Procurator Fiscal Depute and former hotel manager

Parliamentary experience: October 2008 – Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland; 2007 to 2008 – Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Scotland; 2006 to 2007 – Shadow Secretary of State for Transport; 2005 to 2006 – Shadow Home Affairs team; 2001 to 2005 – Northern Ireland spokesperson.

‘<' . strtolower('Array')>After the 2010 election he was made a deputy government chief whip, a role he retained until 2013. IN 2012 he became Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and in 2013 Secretary of State of Scotland.

Interests: Music and amateur dramatics

Constituency: Orkney and Shetland

Constituency Address: Orkney: 14 Palace Road , Kirkwall, KW15 1PA
Shetland: 171 Commercial Street, Lerwick, ZE1 0HX

Constituency Tel: 01856 876541

Date of Birth: 15 July 1965

Email: carmichaela@parliament.uk

Party: Liberal Democrats

Personal Website: www.alistaircarmichael.co.uk/

Westminster Address: House of Commons
LONDON
SW1A 0AA

Westminster Tel: 020 7219 8181

Twitter: @acarmichaelmp