Alistair Carmichael

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The Right Honourable Alistair Carmichael MP

Government Deputy Chief Whip Liberal Democrat Chief Whip
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Tommy McAvoy
Comptroller of the Household
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 May 2010
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	John Spellar
Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Northern Ireland and Scotland
In office October 2008 – 11 May 2010
Leader	Nick Clegg
Preceded by	Michael Moore
Succeeded by	Danny Alexander (Secretary of State for Scotland) Vacant (Northern Ireland)
In office July 2007 – March 2008
Leader	Sir Menzies Campbell
Preceded by	Lembit Öpik (Northern Ireland) Jo Swinson (Scotland)
Succeeded by	Michael Moore
Member of Parliament for Orkney and Shetland
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 June 2001
Preceded by	Jim Wallace
Majority	9,928 (51.3%)
Personal details
Born	(1965-07-15) 15 July 1965 (age 46) Islay
Political party	Liberal Democrat
Spouse(s)	Kate
Children	Two sons
Residence	Orkney
Alma mater	University of Aberdeen
Religion	Church of Scotland
Website	Alistair Carmichael MP

Alexander Morrison "Alistair" Carmichael^[1] (born 15 July 1965) is a Liberal Democrat politician. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Scottish seat of Orkney and Shetland since the 2001 general election.

Contents

1 Early life
2 Political career
3 Personal life
4 References
5 External links

Early life

He was born on Islay, and attended Port Ellen Primary School and Islay High School.^[2] He worked between 1984-89 as an hotel manager, before beginning study at the University of Glasgow. There, he was a member of the Students' Representative Council^[3] and President of the Liberal Club,^[4] however he left his course early. He later returned to education at the University of Aberdeen, where he gained an LLB in 1992, qualifying as a solicitor in 1993.^[2] From 1993-96, he was a Procurator Fiscal Depute for Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and from 1996-2001 was a solicitor with Aberdeen and Macduff.^[2]

Political career

Carmichael was elected to represent Orkney and Shetland in the 2001 general election, the constituency previously held by Jim Wallace and Jo Grimond. He was appointed Liberal Democrat Northern Ireland and Scotland Spokesman by Sir Menzies Campbell in July 2007,^[5] but resigned in March 2008 in order to vote in favour of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.^[6] He was reappointed to the position by Nick Clegg in October 2008. He had also briefly served as the Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman, following the resignation of Mark Oaten.

He has campaigned to simplify the forms for claiming child tax credit, saying many are not claiming the benefit due to being put off by the application process.^[7]

In June 2009, Carmichael was involved in a successful campaign to ban the book by Max Scratchmann, "Chucking it All: How Downsizing To A Windswept Scottish Island Did Absolutely Nothing to Improve My Life", an irreverent account of the author's experience downshifting from Manchester to Orkney, which Carmichael said was "hurtful and vindictive", and attacked a number of "clearly identifiable" residents of the Islands.^[8]^[9]

At the beginning of the Liberal Democrat - Conservative coalition government, Carmichael was appointed Deputy Chief Whip and Comptroller of the Household.

In 2011, Alistair was appointed Honorary President of the Scottish Liberal Democrats youth wing, Liberal Youth Scotland.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

He married Kathryn Jane Eastham in 1987. They have 2 sons (born 1997 and 2001) and live in Orkney. He speaks both French and German. He lists his interests as listening to music, theatre and cooking. He is an elder in the Church of Scotland.^[10] In 2009, he lost four stone in weight through the Cambridge diet.

References

^ Full name is given as "CARMICHAEL, Alexander Morrison, commonly known as Alistair Carmichael" in the returning officer's 2010 general election declaration
^ ^a ^b ^c "CARMICHAEL, Alexander Morrison, (Alistair)". Who's Who online edition. Oxford University Press. December 2008. http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U23506. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
^ Alistair Carmichael (1 March 2008). "Speech to the Scottish Liberal Democrat spring conference in Aviemore". Scottish Liberal Democrats. http://www.scotlibdems.org.uk/news/2008/03/alistair-carmichael-mp-spring-conference. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
^ "Alistair Carmichael MP: I am excited and inspired by the idea of having Ming as our leader". 13 February 2006. http://www.mingcampbell.org.uk/ccarchive/2006/02/13/alistair-carmichael-mp-ming-can-articulate-the-liberal-vision-in-a-way-that-few-others-i-have-ever-known-can-manage/. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
^ Summers, Deborah (3 July 2007). "Campbell reshuffles frontbench". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2007/jul/03/liberaldemocrats.sirmenziescampbell. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
^ Lib Dem trio quit in referendum revolt - The Independent, 05/03/2006
^ Beating Poverty: A simple Solution - Daily Record
^ "Orkney satire makes for pulp friction". Scotland on Sunday. 21 June 2009. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/scotland/Orkney-satire-makes-for-pulp.5386388.jp. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
^ Green, Chris (22 June 2009). "Shelved, the book that outraged the Orkneys". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/shelved-the-book-that-outraged-the-orkneys-1712238.html. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
^ http://www.libdems.org.uk/?link=people.html

External links

Alistair Carmichael MP official constituency website
Profile at the Liberal Democrats
Profile at the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
Current session contributions in Parliament at Hansard
Electoral history and profile at The Guardian
Voting record at PublicWhip.org
Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
Setting Communities Free, Alistair Carmichael, Liberator, November 2003
Profile: Alistair Carmichael BBC News, 10 February 2005
Profile at New Statesman

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Jim Wallace	Member of Parliament for Orkney and Shetland 2001–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Paul Burstow	Chief Whip of the Liberal Democrats 2010–present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by John Spellar	Comptroller of the Household 2010–present	Succeeded by Incumbent

v t e Scottish Liberal Democrats

Headquarters: 4 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR

Leaders	Malcolm Bruce (1988–1992) · Jim Wallace (1992–2005) · Nicol Stephen (2005–2008) · Tavish Scott (2008–2011) · Willie Rennie (2011–)

Deputy Leaders	Michael Moore (2002–2010) · Jo Swinson (2010–)

Presidents	Russell Johnston (1988-1994) · Malcolm Bruce (2000–)

MSP Group	Jim Hume · Liam McArthur · Alison McInnes · Willie Rennie · Tavish Scott

MP Group	Danny Alexander · Malcolm Bruce · Menzies Campbell · Alistair Carmichael · Michael Crockart · Charles Kennedy · Michael Moore · Alan Reid · Robert Smith · Jo Swinson · John Thurso

MEP Group	George Lyon

Organisation	Association of Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillors and Campaigners · Liberal Youth Scotland

In Government	First · Second

Persondata
Name	Carmichael, Alistair
Alternative names
Short description	British politician
Date of birth	15 July 1965
Place of birth	Islay
Date of death
Place of death

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