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Voting records, committee work and parliamentary activity for every UK MP, built on open data from Parliament.

Portrait of Mr Alistair Carmichael

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Liberal Democrat Sitting MP

MP for Orkney and Shetland · in Parliament since 7 June 2001

Parliamentary office

House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

Tel: 020 7219 8181

Email: carmichaela@parliament.uk

Constituency office

Orkney: 14 Palace Road , Kirkwall, KW15 1PA

Tel: 01856 876541

Email: carmichaela@parliament.uk

Constituency office

Shetland: 155 Commercial Street, Lerwick, ZE1 0EX

Tel: 01595 690044

Email: carmichaela@parliament.uk

Website

X (formerly Twitter)

Parliamentary participation snapshot

Voting participation
64.9%
1,103 of 1,699 divisions
Committee attendance
100.0%
53 meetings attended
Debate contributions
1,294
in the 7 year window
Written questions
301
in the 7 year window
Committee memberships
4
current

Biography

The Rt Hon Mr Alistair Carmichael is the Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, and has been an MP continually since 7 June 2001.

Parliamentary service

ConstituencyFromToNotes
Orkney and Shetland4 July 2024PresentElected 1 time
Orkney and Shetland5 May 200530 May 2024Elected 5 times
Orkney and Shetland7 June 20015 May 2005Elected 1 time

Party affiliations

PartyFromTo
Liberal Democrat7 June 2001Present

Election history

ElectionConstituencyDateResult
Paisley South

Previous ministerial & opposition roles

RoleTypeFromTo
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)Opposition11 July 202218 September 2024
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)Opposition7 September 202010 July 2022
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)Opposition7 September 202018 September 2024
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)Opposition7 September 202018 September 2024
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Exiting the European Union)Opposition6 January 20207 September 2020
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs)Opposition6 January 20207 September 2020
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)Opposition7 February 201921 August 2019
Liberal Democrat Chief WhipOpposition16 June 20177 September 2020
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)Opposition16 June 20176 January 2020
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)Opposition29 July 201516 June 2017
Secretary of State for ScotlandGovernment7 October 20138 May 2015
Comptroller (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)Government12 May 20107 October 2013
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Scotland)Opposition1 June 200812 April 2010
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)Opposition18 October 20076 May 2010
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Transport)Opposition3 March 200618 October 2007
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)Opposition10 May 20052 March 2006
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Energy and Climate Change)Opposition10 May 200110 May 2005

Voting participation

Participation rate
64.9%
Eligible divisions
1,699
Divisions voted
1,103

492nd of 650 current MPs · all MPs average 71.4% · Liberal Democrat average 65.2%

Participation by year

Mr Alistair Carmichael voting participation by yearPercentage of eligible Commons divisions voted in, per calendar year0%25%50%75%100%201920202021202220232024202520262019: 100.0%100.0%2020: 81.1%81.1%2021: 86.0%86.0%2022: 72.1%72.1%2023: 62.1%62.1%2024: 55.0%55.0%2025: 58.7%58.7%2026: 42.4%42.4%
YearEligible divisionsVotedParticipation
2026236100 42.4%
2025322189 58.7%
2024200110 55.0%
2023256159 62.1%
2022251181 72.1%
2021242208 86.0%
2020190154 81.1%
201922 100.0%

By Parliament

ParliamentEligible divisionsVotedParticipation
58th1,068779 72.9%
59th631324 51.4%

Participation counts aye, no or teller votes in Commons divisions held while the MP sat. Absence has many legitimate causes (pairing, illness, parental leave, ministerial or Speaker duties).

Parliamentary activity

Debate contributions
1,294
Written questions
301
Oral questions
106
Early day motions
80
Bills sponsored
8
Petitions presented
1
Committee meetings attended
53

joint 272nd of 650 current MPs (2 tied) · all MPs average 489 · Liberal Democrat average 595

Written questions per year
Mr Alistair Carmichael: Written questions per yearNumber of Written questions recorded per calendar year025507510020192020: 535320202021: 747420212022: 595920222023: 646420232024: 363620242025: 3320252026: 12122026
Oral questions per year
Mr Alistair Carmichael: Oral questions per yearNumber of Oral questions recorded per calendar year0613192520192020: 222220202021: 161620212022: 131320222023: 242420232024: 151520242025: 121220252026: 442026
Early day motions per year
Mr Alistair Carmichael: Early day motions per yearNumber of Early day motions recorded per calendar year01325385020192020: 9920202021: 111120212022: 121220222023: 101020232024: 3320242025: 4420252026: 31312026

Annual breakdown

YearDebate contributionsDebates participatedWritten questionsOral questionsEDMsBills sponsoredPetitions
2026 92 54 12 4 31 0 0
2025 144 86 3 12 4 1 0
2024 210 106 36 15 3 1 0
2023 232 120 64 24 10 2 0
2022 178 111 59 13 12 1 0
2021 202 117 74 16 11 1 1
2020 236 133 53 22 9 2 0

Committee memberships

Current committees

CommitteeRoleSinceMeetings attendedAttendance
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Chair 9 September 2024 51 of 51 100.0%
Liaison Committee (Commons) Member 4 December 2024 2 of 2 100.0%
Liaison Sub-Committee on Core Tasks of Select Committees Member 20 October 2026 – no published attendance
Liaison Sub-Committee on National Policy Statements Member 11 June 2025 – no published attendance

joint 1st of 515 current MPs (488 tied) · all MPs average 99.6% · Liberal Democrat average 99.4%

3 bill committees served on

Hansard activity

Contributions
1,294
spoken contributions
Debates participated in
727
distinct debates

57th of 650 current MPs · all MPs average 552 · Liberal Democrat average 419

Contributions per year
Mr Alistair Carmichael: debate contributions per yearSpoken contributions recorded in Hansard per calendar year06312518825020192020: 23623620202021: 20220220212022: 17817820222023: 23223220232024: 21021020242025: 14414420252026: 92922026
Debates participated in per year
Mr Alistair Carmichael: debates participated in per yearDistinct debates the MP contributed to, per calendar year05010015020020192020: 13313320202021: 11711720212022: 11111120222023: 12012020232024: 10610620242025: 868620252026: 54542026

Counts come from the Hansard record for the Commons and Westminster Hall within the dataset window. Individual contributions and topic analysis are not yet part of the dataset; search Hansard for the full record.

Parliamentary timeline

Generated from seat, party, role and committee records.

  1. 2001

    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Energy and Climate Change)
    • – Became MP for Orkney and Shetland
    • – Joined Liberal Democrat

  2. 2005

    • – Became MP for Orkney and Shetland
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Energy and Climate Change)

  3. 2006

    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Transport)

  4. 2007

    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Transport)

  5. 2008

    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Scotland)

  6. 2010

    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Scotland)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
    • – Appointed: Comptroller (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)

  7. 2013

    • – Appointed: Secretary of State for Scotland
    • – Left role: Comptroller (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)

  8. 2015

    • – Left role: Secretary of State for Scotland
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)

  9. 2017

    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Chief Whip
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)

  10. 2019

    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

  11. 2020

    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Exiting the European Union)
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Chief Whip
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Exiting the European Union)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs)

  12. 2022

    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Cabinet Office)
    • – Appointed (opposition): Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)

  13. 2024

    • – Became MP for Orkney and Shetland
    • – Became Chair of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
    • – Joined Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Home Affairs)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice)
    • – Left role: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
    • – Joined Liaison Committee (Commons)

  14. 2025

    • – Joined Liaison Sub-Committee on National Policy Statements

  15. 2026

    • – Joined Liaison Sub-Committee on Core Tasks of Select Committees

Constituency: Orkney and Shetland

Orkney and Shetland constituency boundary
Area
2,451.9 km²
Latest election
2024 General Election (4 July 2024)
Result
LD Hold · majority 7,807
Electorate
34,236 · turnout 60.4%
Postcode areas
ZE2

Statistics cover 7 November 2019 to 7 November 2026. Source: UK Parliament Members, Committees, Commons Votes, Hansard, Questions and Bills APIs, via the UK Politics Decoded dataset. View this MP’s raw JSON.