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.
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.
It’s hard to put into words the horror of recent and ongoing events in Israel and Gaza. The murderous rampage and hostage taking by Hamas militants targeting a music festival and kibbutzim across southern Israeli was unspeakably barbaric.
Orkney’s MSP, Liam McArthur has today written to the CEO of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, highlighting concerns raised by constituents involved in animal welfare in Orkney over the closure of the Balmore rehoming centre.
Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur today called on the First Minister to develop a new islands plan and put an end to the Scottish Government “overpromising and underdelivering” for Orkney and other island communities.
Happy retirement to MV Golden Mariana, which completed her final journey between Papay and Westray at the end of last week. Built in Devon in 1973, at 50 years old the Mariana was the oldest vessel in the Orkney Ferries fleet.
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has welcomed an undertaking from the Culture Secretary, Angus Robertson to meet the operators of the Screen Machine to discuss how its future may be safeguarded.
Liam McArthur, Orkney MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for climate, today said that islanders have felt “excluded” from discussions about the UK’s energy transition.
The Prime Minister chose the eve of Climate Week to announce he was watering down his environmental commitments. With a general election due next year, Rishi Sunak has calculated that delaying targets will revive his party’s prospects at the polls.