Official portrait of Mr Alistair Carmichael

Mr Alistair Carmichael

Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, since 7 June 2001

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.

Scorecard

51.3% Attendance In the least-present tenth of MPs who vote
294 Votes cast out of 575 divisions, plus 1 as teller
280 No vote recorded absent, abstaining, paired or unable to attend
1 Against their own party divisions where they voted the other way to most Liberal Democrat MPs
6 Interests declared none at £5,000 or more
1479 Debates spoken in 565 written questions tabled

Ranked 579 of 638 MPs for attendance. The median of MPs who vote is 72.3%. Ministers and front-benchers vote less often than backbenchers for reasons of office rather than absenteeism, and Parliament does not publish reasons for any absence — the ranking is a starting point for a question, not an answer to one.

Voting record

575 divisions since they took their seat, newest first.

DateQuestionTheir voteResult
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 51: Inheritance tax (pension interests) No 364–167
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 50: Inheritance tax (limiting agricultural and business property reliefs etc) No 327–182
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 28: Capital gains tax (employee-ownership trusts) No 362–164
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 9: Basic rate limit and personal allowance for tax years 2028-29 to 2030-31 No 348–176
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 5: Income tax (savings rate for future years) No 369–166
2 Dec 2025 Budget Resolution No. 4: Income tax (dividend rates) No vote 371–166
25 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: Third Reading No 322–179
25 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 80 Aye 187–320
25 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 69 Aye 189–320
25 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 17 Aye 87–321
24 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: Amendment 25 No 99–367
24 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: Amendment 85 Aye 57–309
24 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 29 Aye 74–311
24 Nov 2025 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill Report Stage: New Clause 2 Aye 158–318
19 Nov 2025 Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 37 No vote 326–92
19 Nov 2025 Draft Radio Equipment (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025 deferred division No vote 376–16
18 Nov 2025 Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Second Reading No vote 320–105
18 Nov 2025 Northern Ireland Troubles Bill: Opposition Reasoned Amendment Aye 165–327
17 Nov 2025 Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Committee: Amendment 5 Aye 147–318
17 Nov 2025 Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Committee: Amendment 4 Aye 143–318
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 40 No vote 244–132
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 39 No vote 250–133
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 38 No vote 252–130
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 37 No vote 254–129
13 Nov 2025 Planning and Infrastructure Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 33 No vote 257–128

Declared financial interests

Quoted in full from the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Entries where the largest figure is £5,000 or more are marked. A declaration is not a wrongdoing — the register exists precisely so that these things are visible.

1. Employment and earnings

Role, work or services: Member of the Advisory Board of the House Magazine
From: 12 May 2021.
Payer: Dods Group Ltd, 11th Floor, The Shard, 32 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG
(Registered 22 September 2021)

On the register since 8 Oct 2025

Payment: £750
Received on: 29 September 2025. Hours: 5 hrs.
(Registered 30 September 2025)

On the register since 8 Oct 2025

6. Land and property portfolio with a value over £100,000 and where indicated, the portfolio provides a rental income of over £10,000 a year

Type of land/property: Agricultural land (Farmland including farm buildings and one house let as holiday accommodation, managed through Coillabus Farms)
Location: Islay, Argyll
Interest held: from 10 November 2021
Rental income: from 10 November 2021
Rental income details: income paid to my father
(Registered 16 November 2021; updated 29 July 2024)

On the register since 16 Aug 2024

7. (i) Shareholdings: over 15% of issued share capital

Name of company or organisation: Coillabus Farms
Nature of business: A firm which manages two farms and the letting of self-catering holiday accommodation on Islay.
Interest held: from 24 October 2021
(Registered 16 November 2021)

On the register since 18 Apr 2024

8. Miscellaneous

An unpaid partner in Coillabus Farms.
Date interest arose: 24 October 2021
(Registered 16 November 2021)

On the register since 16 Aug 2024

Unremunerated Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding.
Date interest arose: 22 September 2017
(Registered 12 October 2017)

On the register since 18 Apr 2024

The same register on parliament.uk →

Debates

1479 debates contributed to in total. The ten most recent:

Money declared to them

No donations to this member appear on the Electoral Commission's register for this Parliament. Only donations above the statutory thresholds have to be declared, and the match is made on name — search the register directly if you are checking a specific one.

Where the public money goes — contracts and donations →


Sources: Commons Votes API, Members API and the Register of Members' Financial Interests, all published by Parliament under the Open Parliament Licence; donations from the Electoral Commission's register. This member's register and debate record were last refreshed 3 Aug 2026. How every figure is worked out →

Machine-readable: JSON for this MP.

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