Alistair Carmichael MP

Congratulations to Rob Jetten and D66 on their fantastic result in the Dutch Election!

This result goes to show that an optimistic, liberal vision is the antidote to the politics of negativity and division offered by the far right.

Today Nigel Farage tried to tear up people’s rights and take us out of the ECHR. Winston Churchill, a key advocate of it, would be turning in his grave. But, the @libdems.org.uk stopped him - a proud moment and we’ll keep fighting.

The European Convention on Human Rights has long been in the firing line for the sort of person who thinks that Winston Churchill was a bleeding-heart lefty liberal. International human rights law is a proud legacy of our country - and one that we can and must defend.

Ed smiling with a glass of beer

When you’ve protected British people’s rights from the authoritarian regime Nigel Farage craves.

Eastern Airways may be a regional airline but its suspension of operations will have an impact across the UK including in the Northern Isles. It is vital that our governments give reassurances about the future of these services and clarity about how they will support customers who are affected.

Myself and @amcarmichaelmp.bsky.social have written to the UK and Scottish Government to demand an alternative carrier for Eastern Airways flights.

Regional air route subsidies are devolved and UK-wide aviation is reserved. We need to see both governments working together to fix this issue.

We just defeated Nigel Farage’s Bill in Parliament to tear up people’s rights and withdraw from the ECHR.

Farage wants to do away with the Britain Churchill built and turn it into a version of Trump's America. We stopped him.

Even at this late stage I am a little surprised and disappointed to see that so many Conservative MPs backed this bill. The party of Churchill may not be dead and buried but they are certainly digging the hole.

Graphic showing a laughing Nigel Farage - above are the words Lib Dems defeat Farage's plan to undermine our Human Rights

Liberal Democrat MPs just defeated Nigel Farage’s Bill in Parliament to tear up people’s rights and withdraw from the ECHR.

Farage wants to do away with the Britain Churchill built and turn it into Trump's America. We won't let him.

"I would argue very strongly that the Conservatives and Nigel Farage, the champions of Brexit, caused the small boat crisis themselves.

"It's about time that we held them to account for that."

@eddavey.libdems.org.uk

My weekly update, including challenging ministers over the Scottish allocation from the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund - and challenging the SNP on their hypocrisy around mandatory digital ID.

Why I am calling out SNP hypocrisy over mandatory digital ID cards The screeching hypocrisy from the SNP in recent weeks has been something to behold

Writing in today's @scotsman.com: Why I am calling out SNP hypocrisy over mandatory digital ID cards

It appears that the SNP have no sense of embarrassment or indeed awareness about their hypocrisy over digital ID – so it is for the rest of us to call it out.

www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

‘Unfair’ fishery fund allocation ‘another bitter blow for Scotland’s fishermen’ ISLES MP Alistair Carmichael has described news Scotland will receive just eight per cent of funding from a new £360 million UK fishing and coastal growth...

Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has described news Scotland will receive just eight per cent of funding from a new £360 million UK fishing and coastal growth fund as “utterly baffling”.

shet.news/g7kiu

Giving less than 8% of fishing fund to Scotland deemed ‘ocean-going madness’ Scotland is set to receive £28 million from the £360 million UK-wide Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund.

Scotland lands the most fish by quantity and value out of the four UK nations, but will get less than 8% of a new fund for fishing and coastal communities.

This is "ocean-going madness", says Alistair Carmichael.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

An Ed Davey quote which reads: I know Labour MPs are relieved that they are finally allowed to say the Conservatives’ Brexit deal is a disaster. But that can’t just be a political ruse to attack Nigel Farage – however much he deserves it. Or even worse – given we still have the highest inflation in the G7 – it mustn’t be a smokescreen to raise taxes on ordinary people. It must be a call to action. 
We must negotiate a new UK-EU customs union.

If Labour agree that the Tories' botched Brexit deal is hurting our country, they should stop complaining and start fixing it.

Starting with a new UK-EU customs union.

Yesterday, during a debate on Scottish devolution, I raised concerns about how the proliferation of quangos in Scotland under the SNP has undermined the accountability of Government decision making.

People who have come to the United Kingdom legally, played by the rules and made it their home do not need to “go home”. This is their home.

I've written to Kemi Badenoch to give her the chance to reject these divisive calls from her frontbencher Katie Lam.

One might suspect that the SNP's only real opposition to this digital ID plan is that they cannot slap a saltire on it.

The hypocrisy of the SNP over digital ID has been something to behold after they tried to impose a mandatory vaccine ID scheme on everyone just a few years ago. The principles and the arguments are the same – all that has changed is political convenience for the nationalists.

"The idea that the government's going to spend billions and billions of pounds on digital ID is such a wrong priority."

@JoshuaReynoldsSL6.bsky.social

Shetland parliamentarians announce summit on telecommunications resilience TELECOMMUNICATION providers, governments and the regulator Ofcom have all been invited to a resilience summit in Lerwick in a bid to improve the isles...

Telecommunication providers, governments and the regulator Ofcom have all been invited to a resilience summit in Lerwick in a bid to improve the isles connectivity.
@beatricewishartmsp.bsky.social @amcarmichaelmp.bsky.social

shet.news/n16zg

My friend Ming Campbell had so many strengths. Olympian, statesman, party leader.

At St Andrews, where he was Chancellor for almost twenty years, he gave so much to generations of students. Wendy Chamberlain and I were proud to honour his legacy in the place he loved.

A real Russian Shahed drone being put together in Parliament today. It’s 4m long and can carry 90kg of explosives. Russia manufactures 170 a day and most get directed onto civilian Ukrainian targets. Russia must lose this war for the sake of peace in Europe.

Farmers Weekly Awards 2025: Farming Champion of the Year - Farmers Weekly The MP Alistair Carmichael has been named the Farmers Weekly 2025 Farming Champion for his work on behalf of crofters, farmers and rural communities, both

👏 Huge congratulations to my Lib Dem colleague Alistair Carmichael MP, named Farmers Weekly’s 2025 Farming Champion - a thoroughly deserved recognition. He's dedicated his career to championing crofters, farmers & rural communities in Orkney & Shetland & right across Britain.

Farmers Weekly Awards 2025: Farming Champion of the Year - Farmers Weekly The MP Alistair Carmichael has been named the Farmers Weekly 2025 Farming Champion for his work on behalf of crofters, farmers and rural communities, both

Congratulations to Alistair Carmichael and thank you #FarmersWeekly! He was in North Norfolk only last month with @steffanaquarone.bsky.social speaking up for farmers 🙌

www.fwi.co.uk/events/award...

Reminds me of when the previous government, after much prodding by industry, put fishing deckhand workers on the Shortage Occupation List - then slapped them with English language requirements. You can be a skilled worker in much demand without those skills involving high-level written English!

"Everyone who protested, wrote to their MPs, shouted at the TV...we have to work towards that two-state solution."

@LaylaMoran.bsky.social

Tributes are ongoing for my friend and colleague Ming Campbell in the House of Commons. I am sad that I could not be there due to Select Committee business, but proud of the thoughtful and affectionate words from all sides of the House and from @wendychambld.bsky.social in particular.

As always with the SNP, they start with the need to have a good media headline or a photo op - the substance comes second.