What has Alistair Carmichael been up to today?
Alistair Carmichael is MP for Orkney and Shetland and a member of the Liberal Democrat party.
Alistair Carmichael has 24452 followers on Twitter.
Good point from @amcarmichaelMP - raising issue of Brexit UK having left EU's EGNOS satellite system. Weather cancellations on some Scottish air routes doubled since the UK left, we are now the only G20 country without a precision satellite-based navigation system.
Glad to back my new colleague @RichardFoordLD's first parliamentary motion today - to expand Rural Duty Rate Relief and save on transport costs for struggling families.
Call for support on high fuel prices from fishermen and politicians http://shet.news/tkren via @Shetnews @ShFishermen @amcarmichaelMP
Will never cease to be of note that Nicola Sturgeon campaigned for Scotland to leave the EU in 2014. Nationalism has always come before internationalism for the SNP.
BREAKING: Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland was "ripped" from EU "against its will" & says Westminster has "saddled" Scotland with low growth as she launches plans for a further independence referendum🏴 https://www.politics.co.uk/news/2022/06/28/sturgeon-says-scotland-was-ripped-from-eu-as-she-unveils-referendum-plans/
Remember the SNP advocated leaving the EU up until 2016 🐆 https://twitter.com/Politics_co_uk/status/1541778012387123265
BREAKING: Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland was "ripped" from EU "against its will" & says Westminster has "saddled" Scotland with low growth as she launches plans for a further independence referendum🏴 https://www.politics.co.uk/news/2022/06/28/sturgeon-says-scotland-was-ripped-from-eu-as-she-unveils-referendum-plans/
A fitting metaphor for the SNP's approach to politics.
Due to the First Minister’s statement on her referendum bill the debate tonight on Scotland’s drug deaths has been postponed.
Bit rich of Nicola Sturgeon to talk about the SNP’s support for the EU when her party spent more on the Shetland by-election than the EU Referendum
Which was, of course, correct - and yet the SNP still campaigned to leave the EU in 2014. Nationalism came before internationalism.
👀 Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael: “The only way to guarantee leaving the EU is by leaving the United Kingdom.”
It’s a pleasure to welcome in my newest colleague @RichardFoordLD to parliament today.
Together, we’re getting on with the job of standing up for rural Britain and holding the conservatives to account
Rural communities like ours are struggling with rising fuel costs, but the Government is failing to help.
That’s why I’m tabling a motion in Parliament - calling for a fuel duty cut in rural areas to offer help now.
I hope other rural and West Country MPs will back this motion.
Honoured to be sworn in as the new Member of Parliament for Tiverton & Honiton. Now to get to work!
Someone is feeling nervous about keeping seats in Devon...
The Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme was a longstanding @LibDems policy - which we are now seeking to expand. The Tories stood on the sidelines until we pushed to introduce it in government.
Reading the new Lib Dem MP for Tiverton and Honiton’s policy proposal on fuel tax cutting I believe he should join me on the @Conservative benches as his views are far more in line with our existing policies than the party he purports to represent.
https://www.selainesaxby.org.uk/news/selaine-saxby-suggests-new-tiverton-and-honiton-mp-should-cross-conservatives-his-policies-are
🚨 APPG on Uyghurs Co-Chair @Nus_Ghani has tabled an amendment to the #NationalSecurityBill, seeking to prevent public contracts being given to companies such as @HikvisionHQ & @DahuaHQ. Both are complicit in the surveillance of Uyghurs.
More information:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-03/0007/amend/national_security_rm_pbc_0627.pdf
“It’s simply not good enough that this Conservative Government is failing rural communities with their inaction on the cost of living crisis. They are taking them for granted and are too focused on keeping the Prime Minister in his job.” @RichardFoordLD
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1631132/petrol-prices-diesel-rural-areas
Join me 1pm @TimesRadio
- By-elections @PaulHowellMP
- Political Frenemies @IanMurrayMP 🤝 @amcarmichaelMP
- Roe v Wade @RobinGivhan
- 📖 ‘Just Got Real’ @JaneFallon
- Sports Panel ⛳️🎾 @Lawton_Times + @go2lisa
1/2
@amcarmichaelMP will be giving this year's Beveridge Lecture at the #slf2022conference
Whatever else there is to say about MP salaries - the primary "expense" in the figure below is our staff - and speaking for my own team and other Lib Dem MP caseworkers and researchers, they are worth their weight in gold for the hard work they do helping our communities.
Again - why are people I respect retweeting this stuff without looking at details and sources? I get people dislike MPs but this is mad. MP “take home” is not 400,000 - their salary is less than a 1/4 of that. And their “expenses” are the cost of doing their job in constituencies https://twitter.com/ThornieKate/status/1540241856402948096
Lord Frost drawing on his long history of winning elections here. How many voters did you speak to in Tiverton and Honiton or Wakefield?
That said, if the upshot is yet more Conservative complacency then @LibDems will happily take it - and their seats.
It's important to cut through the noise and spin on the Wakefield and Tiverton results.
Both are terrible for @Conservatives.
Neither is particularly good for @labour or @LibDems.
Why? (1/4)
Liberal Democrats WIN Tiverton and Honiton.
Congratulations @RichardFoordLD.
Devon has spoken for the country: The public is sick of Boris Johnson’s lies and law-breaking and it’s time for Conservative MPs to finally do the right thing and sack him.
Polls are now open in Tiverton and Honiton and the result could come down to just a handful of votes.
Vote for @RichardFoordLD before 10pm tonight 🔶🗳🕙
Scotland is not one monolithic political entity. We hold diverse views - like any other community. To pretend that Scots are fundamentally different - and morally superior - to others is a dangerous route to go down.
Scotland holds very different values than the United Kingdom. We are a nation that wants to uphold our human rights, uphold our connection and membership of the European Union, and truly be welcoming to new Scots. Please don’t think that the United Kingdom speaks for Scotland.
I remember my mums telling me stories about Partition, where one of the reasons for the slaughter of millions was that one group was better than the other,
Nationalism is the politics of hate, distrust & bigotry - and we need to fight nationalism in every one of its forms. https://twitter.com/paul1singh/status/1539874540653887488
“We’re simply better than you, that’s why we want independence”
One of the warm surprises of today was having Alistair Carmichael join us. He was the first MP to raise @Alaa's case in a question in the parliament, and today he was with us supporting our call to #FreeAlaa
Immensely grateful 🙏
#SaveAlaa #FreeAlaa
Orrrrrr we actually have shared values and priorities... https://twitter.com/ionafyfe/status/1539576675054362625
Scotland holds very different values than the United Kingdom. We are a nation that wants to uphold our human rights, uphold our connection and membership of the European Union, and truly be welcoming to new Scots. Please don’t think that the United Kingdom speaks for Scotland.
This change has been a long time coming. I suspect that as with so many vexed questions, a few years from now we may wonder why it took so long to happen – but Shetlanders can all celebrate being together for the festivities as one community next year.
Women will be able to take part in squads at the main Up Helly Aa fire festival in Shetland for the first time next year, organisers have announced. https://trib.al/aGAwXmq
WATCH @amcarmichaelMP on BBC Politics Scotland.
Many people are going to experience severe hardship from the cost of living crisis.
But both of our governments in London and Edinburgh would rather divide people than take action on the cost of living.
We are expecting a statement today on the government's new "Bill of Rights" legislation - which seems a good time to review my article from last week on government suggestions about leaving the ECHR and the harm this would cause. Thread: 1/
https://www.politicshome.com/thehouse/article/the-governments-threat-to-leave-the-echr-in-order-to-fulfil-its-rwanda-policy-risks-breaking-the-good-friday-agreement
Well put by @KennyFarq. Wrote something similar in December: "That most Scottish people dislike Johnson’s aristo-populist form of politics is hardly surprising. The problem for the SNP is that most English, Welsh and Northern Irish people feel the same"
https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/why-the-snp-will-be-sorry-to-see-boris-johnson-go-alistair-carmichael-mp-3507901
SNP’s dirty secret: it needs Tories for victory
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dfc9adb0-f1a4-11ec-b7b8-d1bfbe7f1c7e?shareToken=ed7af5c742e893bb3f328cb2734495ae
🚨JOIN US TODAY 3PM, #Bahrain Embassy London🚨
We will be gathering to mark the UN International Day in Support of Victims of torture & 11 years since the conviction of high-profile Bahraini opposition leaders.
📍Speakers: @amcarmichaelMP @AMushaima @katifallon_
Pls RT!
There is no doubt that Johnson's support for the Chinese Government is a massive propaganda boost for them and an embarrassment for our government. To go to Xinjiang when many have concluded that the Uyghur population is the subject of a genocide is a colossal error of judgement.
Exclusive: Boris Johnson's father Stanley hopes the UK overturns a ban on the Chinese ambassador visiting the parliament
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3182568/boris-johnsons-father-stanley-hopes-uk-parliament-removes-ban
Ala'a Abd el-Fattah is now on day 81 of his hunger strike. He has been unjustly imprisoned by the Egyptian Govt for 8 years.
I asked the Foreign Secretary to meet with his family. They will be outside the FCDO today from 5pm-7pm. Liz Truss just needs to step outside to step up.
His comments sparked anger from British politicians across the spectrum.
@amcarmichaelMP told me the trip was “a massive propaganda boost for [the Chinese government] and an embarrassment for his own son’s UK government”
Evening Mike - for the record it is a simple fact that the SNP (yourself and Angus included) were happy to campaign for independence in 2014 knowing it would mean Scotland leaving the EU - as the attached letter confirms. Anti-EU or not, nationalism came before internationalism.
Alistsir don’t be so stupid - that duplicitous dishonesty shames you . Nobody would believe Angus was anti #EU but many are incredulous that your party’s official position is not to rejoin. https://twitter.com/amcarmichaelMP/status/1539169243895308290
Lib Dem MP @amcarmichaelMP asks SNP MP @DavidLinden whether he believes the outcome of investigations into ministerial misconduct should be made public, to which Mr Linden says yes.
Should have a word with his party leader. https://twitter.com/conor_matchett/status/1539147986965512193
EXCLUSIVE: 'Not in public interest' to disclose misconduct probe outcomes against SNP ministers, including Fergus Ewing
Ministers now claiming the outcome of any misconduct complaint against them should not be made public, whether it is upheld or not.
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/not-in-public-interest-to-disclose-misconduct-probe-outcomes-against-snp-ministers-including-fergus-ewing-3738639
Suspect those who follow this account have their minds firmly made up. For the record however it is a simple fact that the SNP and the Yes camp were happy to campaign for independence in 2014 knowing that it would mean Scotland leaving the EU - as the attached letter confirms.
We don't actually think Carmichael believes this. Thing is, why say it? If we had to guess we'd suggest he's saying it because he's bitter and is essentially trolling. In other words, he knows he's lying but the fact that it will annoy is justification.
Happy to celebrate Shetland Flag Day today! A chance to recognise and celebrate the history, cultural exchanges and shared community which make our islands unique.
Glad to hear that the mystery of the missing oystercatcher has been resolved (albeit in a less dramatic way than we might have imagined!).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-61870711
Great to unveil @SusanMurrayLibD as our candidate for East Dunbartonshire, @LibDems number 1 target Westminster seat in the whole of the U.K. We’re only 149 votes behind the SNP here and Susan is well respected locally. She’s going to smash it. 🔶 #newhope
Narrator: Angus campaigned for Scotland to leave the EU in 2014.
Labour is now joining the Tories in damaging opposition to free movement of people, which Scotland desperately needs. Scotland must re-join the EU and restore free movement as soon as possible, and will only happen with independence. #indyref2 🏴🇪🇺 https://twitter.com/thetimes/status/1538771495522078721
"This is like a determined effort to waste as much taxpayers’ money as possible. Each day they trash the British tradition of treating people with respect.
"It’s time they did the decent thing and just gave up on this farce of a policy."
@amcarmichaelMP
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/19/outrage-over-scheme-to-electronically-tag-refugees-arriving-in-the-uk
As ever, the real lesson is that we need electoral reform (UK-wide and indeed in Scottish elections) - so that seats can properly match votes.
Opposition votes (const) vs SNP: 52.3 vs 47.7%
Opposition votes (const) vs Tories: 56.4 vs 43.6%
It's Schrödinger's mandate depending on whether you're in London or not.
Susan Murray is our candidate to be East Dunbartonshire's next MP.
The SNP have been awful for Scotland. Meanwhile the Conservatives are reduced to making excuses for Boris Johnson's lies.
In East Dunbartonshire a vote for Susan will send a message that it is time for a change.
.@wendychambLD raises the disappearance of a story in the Times that the prime minister when Foreign Secretary attempted to hire Carrie Symonds.
On #WorldRefugeeDay, reflecting on the grim loss of life in the Channel last November. The deaths of dozens of refugees should have been cause for positive change in our asylum policy. Instead our government has combined cruelty with incompetence.
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/channel-migrants-death-boris-johnson-b1963826.html
The @fisheriesappg has released a report collating responses from across the UK #fishing industry on the impacts of #Brexit on their livelihoods...
Find out more: https://bit.ly/3OsFc0C
"People in Orkney continue to be landed with some of the highest energy bills in the UK.
This situation is not sustainable or acceptable. What we need now is for the UK Government to step in and apply the energy cap to heating oil."
@Liam4Orkney
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands-islands/4427178/aberdeenshire-shetland-orkney-energy-bills/
It's my last week on Any Questions! Thoroughly looking forward to my final trip, the last leg of our islands tour. We are heading to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. There are still free tickets available for Friday evening. @bbcshetland #bbcaq https://thelittleboxoffice.com/smaa/event/view/120984
The ongoing problem with nationalism - it forces people to choose between their identities. The great thing about a liberal society is that you can embrace all the diverse identities that make up your individuality, without being defined by one alone.
I am Scottish& British and proud of it. When the SNP decry the UK they belittle who I am. #stillno #notoindyref #UK #SCOTLAND https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/for-many-of-us-these-constant-attacks-on-westminster-show-a-lack-of-respect-for-who-we-are-christine-jardine-3736372
I am Scottish& British and proud of it. When the SNP decry the UK they belittle who I am. #stillno #notoindyref #UK #SCOTLAND https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/for-many-of-us-these-constant-attacks-on-westminster-show-a-lack-of-respect-for-who-we-are-christine-jardine-3736372
“Pragmatic, serious efforts to support the fishing industry are required from ministers in order to ensure that coastal communities can continue to thrive into the future,” @amcarmichaelMP
https://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2022/06/13/report-damns-impact-of-brexit-on-fishing-industry
I would suggest, however, that a liberal response to nationalism has to be utilitarian *and* existential. We have to believe that the liberal ideal is better than the nationalist identity both as a matter of practicality and as a matter of heartfelt principle. 7/