31 Broad Street
Kirkwall
KW15 1DH

Alistair Carmichael entered Parliament at his second attempt in 2001, holding the former seat of Jim Wallace and Jo Grimond.

Alistair was borne on Islay to hill farming parents and read law at the University of Aberdeen. Before he became an MP he was an hotelier, a Procurator Fiscal Depute and a solicitor. Married to a vet, he has two young children, is an Elder of the Church of Scotland and enjoys amateur dramatics and music; he speaks both French and German.

As an MP his work on local issues includes: a petition to 'Save the Pension Book'; the complexity of the benefits and tax credit system; the post office card account; the problems of nuclear waste and the need for a National Institute for Energy Technologies; the future use of Scapa Flow as a hub for the container trade; and the future of Shetland's TA unit.

Alistair was appointed Shadow Transport Secretary in March 2006. Before that he was a member of the Home Affairs team. He is a member of the Scottish Affairs select committee and of the all party groups on fishing, offshore gas oil and gas, and telecommunications. He is a member of the Beveridge Group. In July 2007 Alistair was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Scotland, a post he has retained in Nick Clegg's October 2008 cabinet changes.

Port Ellen Primary School, Islay High School, Aberdeen University - LLB & Dip LP

Former Solicitor, former Procurator Fiscal Depute and former hotel manager

October 2008 to 2010 - Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland; 2007 to 2008 - Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Scotland; 2006 to 2007 - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport; 2005 to 2006 - Shadow Home Affairs team; 2001 to 2005 - Northern Ireland spokesperson.