Scottish Liberal Democrat representatives of Orkney and Shetland in Holyrood and Westminster have today asked dog-owners to take extra care while walking their pets during lambing season and calving season.
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has raised frustrations with repeated failures by energy companies to deliver large amounts to people entitled to “feed-in tariff” payments for producing renewable energy.
Responding to news that Humza Yousaf has been elected as the new leader of the SNP, Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael said:
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has this week highlighted the challenges of the “energy trilemma” – balancing energy affordability, security of supply and decarbonisation – in a speech in Parliament.
Responding to the 20th anniversary this week, Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael has reflected on the legacy of the war and the reaction from people in the isles at the time.
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today pressed ministers for a renewed debate on the operation of the Alternative Fuel Payment, citing the “utterly random” delivery of funds to people in the isles. Mr Carmichael noted responses from constituents to his online survey, which found close to a 50-50 split between people using electric heating (which in theory is not eligible for the AFP) who had or had not received the payment. Mr Carmichael previously secured a commitment from ministers not to “claw back” wrongly delivered payments for those on electric heating.
Responding to the Spring Budget today, Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has criticised the “skewed” priorities of the Conservatives in pushing major tax breaks for the wealthy and major businesses while refusing to expand energy bills support and hitting families and small businesses with further taxes.
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today called on the government to reverse its “questionable” decision to exclude distillers from the successor energy bills discount scheme coming in next month, ahead of this week’s Budget. Writing in PoliticsHome today, Mr Carmichael highlighted the “linchpin” role many distillers play in providing quality jobs and tourism interest in communities in the Highlands and Islands, including in the Northern Isles. He further noted that beer brewers and winemakers are to be included in the provisional criteria, despite being far less energy-intensive industries than distilling.
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has called for a better strategy from the government on brain tumour research funding in a debate in Parliament. Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Carmichael highlighted the progress made in recent years in delivering ringfenced funding for research, but warned that structural problems were still standing in the way. The MP also highlighted the wider need for more openness in talking about brain tumours amongst friends and family.
Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur has written to Justice Secretary Angela Constance seeking an update on when jury trials will return to various rural and island courts, including Kirkwall Sheriff Court.
Commenting on news that the Scottish Government has offered in principle funding to OIC to develop the business case for replacement of ferries on Orkney’s inter isles routes, Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur said:
Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur spoke out today about the “crisis” in mental health across Scotland, despite the best efforts of those working in the sector, and called for more staff to support police and A&E teams who are bearing the brunt.
Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur today called on the First Minister to ensure young people travelling between the smaller isles and Orkney mainland are included in the forthcoming extension of the government’s concessionary travel scheme.
Full disclosure: as President of East United FC, I struggle to manage the torrent of messages flooding in on the club’s various WhatsApp group chats. As so often, technology that promises to save time and make life easier succeeds in doing neither.
Orkney’s parliamentarians, Liam McArthur MSP and Alistair Carmichael MP, today hosted the latest Orkney Digital Forum at the St Magnus Centre in Kirkwall.
Scottish Liberal Democrat and Shetland’s MSP, Beatrice Wishart asked what follow up actions the Scottish Government have taken in light of the ‘downright dangerous behaviour’ of the Antonio Maria.
Shetland’s MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat Beatrice Wishart MSP has commended the Lerwick RNLI lifeboat crew for rescuing the 17-metre Danish trawler, Westbank, and her three-man crew by lodging a parliamentary motion.
MSP for Orkney Liam McArthur, is supporting the ‘Wear It Pink’ campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The campaign, organised by Breast Cancer Now, is encouraging fundraising by wearing pink on Friday 20th October.
