Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has called for a rethink of the Government’s planned Turing exchange scheme, after it emerged this week that the new programme would be significantly less generous and with fewer study opportunities than the Erasmus programme it was supposed to replace.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has called for the Government to assess the potential benefits of a permanent reduction in VAT for tourism and hospitality in order to give businesses confidence in future growth. Hospitality businesses have been some of the hardest-hit throughout the pandemic, being shut down or severely curtailed for almost a year and with little prospect of a quick return to normal tourist seasons in the short term.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has said that news today that the Government will postpone new import checks on goods from the EU an additional six months was necessary, but reflected wider failures in the Government’s negotiations and preparations for changes to trade.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has warned the Government that it must act on sanctions against those undermining freedom in Hong Kong, after yet another wave of arrests and moves by Beijing to stamp out democracy in the city. Many more democracy activists have been arrested in recent days and China has announced new electoral rules which will reduce the chance for pro-democracy leaders to win representation.

Orkney and Shetland MP and Liberal Democrat Norther Ireland spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael, has called on the Government to stop picking needless fights with the EU and sit down to find an agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary checks in order to ease trade disruption. Speaking during an urgent debate after the Government unilaterally reneged on commitments in the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU, Mr Carmichael called for a longer term approach and an end to damaging behaviour by the Government.

Isles representatives, Beatrice Wishart MSP and Alistair Carmichael MP, have written to the head of the DVSA, Loveday Ryder, to voice concern about the growing backlog in driving tests in the Northern Isles. Islanders have had severe issues in securing tests since the start of the pandemic, with few tests available even during periods of reduced restrictions. Beatrice Wishart recently met with Shetland’s Scottish Youth Parliament representatives who outlined the growing problems for young people who cannot get their driving licence because of these test delays.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has welcomed news that the Government is giving in over the campaign to include fishing deckhands on the skilled worker access list for visas. After initially refusing calls for a change in the visa policy from fishermen and pressure from Mr Carmichael in Parliament – including raising directly with the Prime Minister in the House of Commons – the Government has released a revision of its visa rules.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has joined Liberal Democrat colleagues in voicing concern about the “damning” impact assessment on HIAL’s plans to centralise air traffic control in the North of Scotland and move jobs and services to Inverness. The report outlines a range of likely negative impacts for the isles including population loss, reduced economic activity and lowered resilience of flight services from the plan, with the only significant positive outcomes found for Inverness, where services are to be centralised.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has voiced concern about the Government’s planned cuts to aid to Yemen while reinstating arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which has been heavily involved in the Yemeni conflict. Speaking during a ministerial statement on the terrorist group Daesh, Mr Carmichael warned that by putting arms before aid the UK risked creating the potential for further conflict in the years to come. The Government has chosen to cut aid to Yemen by more than half compared to previous years.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has welcomed news that the United States will end retaliatory tariffs imposed on Scottish whisky, which have cost the industry as much as £500m and lowered US exports by 35% since they were first imposed in 2019. The Biden administration has agreed to lower the 25% tariffs for four months ahead of wider negotiations with the EU. The drop in tariffs also applies to other products including cheese, pork and cashmere.