Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP) header
Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP) profile picture

Alistair Carmichael MP

@amcarmichaelMP

Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland Chair of @CommonsEFRA. Promoted by A. Carmichael of 4 Clifton Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 5DR.

 UK
alistaircarmichael.co.uk
Joined November 2009
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  • Following1.4K
  • Followers24.1K
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Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)Photo by Alistair Carmichael MP (@amcarmichaelMP)
How to pay a compliment without flattery…
Robert Hutton (@RobDotHutton) profile pictureRobert Hutton@RobDotHuttonOct 28
The government's latest farming cock-up is a great example of a wider problem: everyone agrees it's a disaster, and everyone is sure it's not their fault. thecritic.co.uk/the-meaning-…
Why, Tory MP Sarah Bool asked, had the government decided to do it this way? “You’ll appreciate that it was before my time in the department,” Morgan explained. It wasn’t his fault, he’d only got there in June. “But I’m very keen to learn lessons from this year,” he added brightly, which will be a huge comfort to farmers. Alistair Carmichael, the Committee chair, looked at Morgan in the way that a bull might look at a rambler who had entered its field determined to exercise their right to roam. Had Morgan been told in advance that the scheme was likely to be oversubscribed? “I very much understood the level of demand,” Morgan said. “That’s why we communicated via the DEFRA blog.” And if farmers weren’t checking in on the DEFRA blog five times a day, that was their stupid fault. “Lessons have to be learned,” Morgan said again. It’s not clear who by. Learning lessons isn’t his job. Carmichael pawed the ground and began cantering towards the hapless minister. “The decision to carry on w

ALT Why, Tory MP Sarah Bool asked, had the government decided to do it this way? “You’ll appreciate that it was before my time in the department,” Morgan explained. It wasn’t his fault, he’d only got there in June. “But I’m very keen to learn lessons from this year,” he added brightly, which will be a huge comfort to farmers. Alistair Carmichael, the Committee chair, looked at Morgan in the way that a bull might look at a rambler who had entered its field determined to exercise their right to roam. Had Morgan been told in advance that the scheme was likely to be oversubscribed? “I very much understood the level of demand,” Morgan said. “That’s why we communicated via the DEFRA blog.” And if farmers weren’t checking in on the DEFRA blog five times a day, that was their stupid fault. “Lessons have to be learned,” Morgan said again. It’s not clear who by. Learning lessons isn’t his job. Carmichael pawed the ground and began cantering towards the hapless minister. “The decision to carry on w

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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
Moorland Association (@MoorlandAssoc) profile picture
Moorland Association
@MoorlandAssocOct 22
MPs back moorland managers and demand action on wildfire risk • New @CommonsEFRA wildfire report backs key arguments made by the MA and our members. • Peatland restoration alone can't deal with today's dangerous fuel loads. Burning remains a vital tool. • MPs want the wildfire impact of burning restrictions assessed and the struggling licensing system fixed. • Gamekeepers and land managers must be heard, including at the PM's wildfire summit and Defra's roundtable. Link to full story is in replies:
Image from Moorland Association (@MoorlandAssoc)
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Away from politics (kinda) I am pleased to welcome six new members to the wider Carmichael family. Only really had budget for three so naturally I bought six.
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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) profile picture
Amnesty UK
@AmnestyUKJul 30
GOOD NEWS: The UK’s highest court has granted permission to appeal the terrorist ban of Palestine Action. This news comes a month after the Court of Appeal upheld the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action in July 2025. We have long said that the banning of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was a grave misuse of sweeping counter-terrorism powers with serious consequences for human rights. We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court to grant permission to appeal, but the Government should end this sorry saga now by withdrawing the proscription.
Breaking: Supreme Court Granted Permission to Appeal the Terrorist Ban of Palestine Action

ALT Breaking: Supreme Court Granted Permission to Appeal the Terrorist Ban of Palestine Action

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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
James Rebanks (@herdyshepherd1) profile picture
James Rebanks@herdyshepherd1Jul 30
I’m writing about how farmers are coping (or not) with the drought If you are a farmer and have a story to tell - DM me - interested in what costs it adds to farms, or the losses it might leave behind
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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
Hong Kong Watch (@hk_watch) profile picture
Hong Kong Watch
@hk_watchJul 27
Today our 🇬🇧 Patrons Lord Patten of Barnes, @DavidAltonHL, Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, @MalcolmRifkind, @TomTugendhat, @jameswnaish and @amcarmichaelMP wrote to @ShabanaMahmood to raise urgent alarm over visa refusals and deportation threat to #HongKong political prisoners, including Wu Chi-wai, who faces deportation from the UK this Wednesday. We urge @ukhomeoffice to ensure prisoners of conscience are not excluded from humanitarian schemes like the #BNO visa. hongkongwatch.org/all-posts/…
Image from Hong Kong Watch (@hk_watch)
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Sorry to be losing @Jenny4SuffCoast from the EFRA committee but delighted for her promotion. Know she takes a great commitment and talent with her into the department.
martin williams (@loosecollie) profile picturemartin williams
@loosecollieJul 23
Congratulations to @Jenny4SuffCoast on appointment to @DefraGovUK Well deserved after leading the Labour Rural Research Group through choppy water for 2 years. Great appointment @andyburnham
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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
SFF (@sff_uk) profile picture
SFF@sff_uk24 Dec 2025
Looking ahead to 2026, Chief Executive, Elspeth Macdonald, highlights how our industry faces another year shaped by political and policy turbulence. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let’s make #2026 the year Scotland stands up for fishing.
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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
GB News (@GBNEWS) profile picture
GB News
@GBNEWS23 Dec 2025
'In years to come, academics will crawl over this and see it was the worst possible way to make policy.' Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael says Labour’s farm tax fiasco shows how not to govern, praising the grassroots farming movement but warning problems still remain.
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Glad to have had strong @LibDems support from the start on the campaign against the family farm tax.
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Proud of Lib Dem colleagues for their work on this. Whether it is on the farm tax, on support payments, regulation or future trading arrangements, the Government will have a better time politically – and in terms of outcomes – if they engage more and dictate less going forward.
David Chadwick MP 🔶 (@LibDemDavid) profile pictureDavid Chadwick MP 🔶
@LibDemDavid23 Dec 2025
The @LibDems were the first to oppose the unfair family farm tax and we’ve proudly stood with Welsh farmers ever since. This hard-won concession shows what campaigning can achieve, but many family farms are still struggling. We’ll keep fighting to support our farmers.
Image from David Chadwick MP 🔶 (@LibDemDavid)
Image from David Chadwick MP 🔶 (@LibDemDavid)
Image from David Chadwick MP 🔶 (@LibDemDavid)
Image from David Chadwick MP 🔶 (@LibDemDavid)
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The lesson surely must be that the Government should listen to farmers and the wider rural community across the piece on the issues that matter to us. The Government could have saved themselves a lot of time and heartache if they had started with an approach based on respect.
EFRA Committee (@CommonsEFRA) profile pictureEFRA Committee
@CommonsEFRA23 Dec 2025
The Government has announced changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief reforms (APR and BPR), set to be introduced in 2026. We’ve consistently pressed the Government to rethink these reforms and welcome the changes. Chair @amcarmichaelMP shares his view 👇
Alistair Carmichael MP, Committee Chair “Farmers need clarity, stability and a system that genuinely works for them. If the Government is serious about supporting domestic food production and the long-term future of our rural communities, that will be the Prime Minister’s New Years resolution for 2026.”

ALT Alistair Carmichael MP, Committee Chair “Farmers need clarity, stability and a system that genuinely works for them. If the Government is serious about supporting domestic food production and the long-term future of our rural communities, that will be the Prime Minister’s New Years resolution for 2026.”

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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
EFRA Committee (@CommonsEFRA) profile picture
EFRA Committee
@CommonsEFRA23 Dec 2025
The Government has announced changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief reforms (APR and BPR), set to be introduced in 2026. We’ve consistently pressed the Government to rethink these reforms and welcome the changes. Chair @amcarmichaelMP shares his view 👇
Alistair Carmichael MP, Committee Chair “Farmers need clarity, stability and a system that genuinely works for them. If the Government is serious about supporting domestic food production and the long-term future of our rural communities, that will be the Prime Minister’s New Years resolution for 2026.”

ALT Alistair Carmichael MP, Committee Chair “Farmers need clarity, stability and a system that genuinely works for them. If the Government is serious about supporting domestic food production and the long-term future of our rural communities, that will be the Prime Minister’s New Years resolution for 2026.”

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This is a win for our farmers and rural communities as we head towards Christmas. Raising the inheritance tax threshold for farmers from £1 million to £2.5 million is a huge step forward, bringing some well-earned reassurance to farming families at this time of year.
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This is a major concession from the Government and should be welcomed as such. After a tough year, farmers and their supporters finally have a reason to give cheers this Christmas. gov.uk/government/news/inher…
Inheritance tax reliefs threshold to rise to £2.5m for farmers and businesses

Inheritance tax reliefs threshold to rise to £2.5m for farmers and businesses

£1m Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs threshold increased to £2.5m from April 2026 – allowing spouses or civil partners to pass on up to £5m in qualifying agricultural or business assets...

gov.uk
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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
EFRA Committee (@CommonsEFRA) profile picture
EFRA Committee
@CommonsEFRA17 Dec 2025
Today our Chair @amcarmichaelMP spoke at the launch of @RiverActionUK's report on agricultural pollution. He talked about the importance of working with farmers, rather than against them, to tackle pollution and improve our water quality 👇
Image of EFRA Chair Alistair Carmichael speaking in Parliament

ALT Image of EFRA Chair Alistair Carmichael speaking in Parliament

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There has been quite the reaction to my questioning of Keir Starmer in Parliament on Monday - particularly his tone-deaf answers on farm inheritance tax. These issues are not going away in 2026 - they matter too much to rural and farming communities. Watch this space.
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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
PoliticsHome (@politicshome) profile picture
PoliticsHome
@politicshome18 Dec 2025
🍾 Who better to build a Christmas hamper than the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee? Settle down with spiced rum, cured mutton soup, smoked eel paté, some vegan chocolate and an onion for a memorable festive meal with @amcarmichaelMP @SarahDykeLD @Jenny4SuffCoast @TufnellHenry @sarah_bool @charliedewhirst @TerryJermyMP @JayneKirkham4 @JoshNewburyMP politicshome.com/news/articl…
Build A Christmas Hamper With The Efra Committee MPs

Build A Christmas Hamper With The Efra Committee MPs

Who better to build a Christmas hamper than the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee? Settle down with spiced rum, cured mutton soup, smoked eel paté, some vegan chocolate and an onion for a...

politicshome.com
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Last week I was fortunate to be able to meet and speak with my Ukrainian parliamentary counterpart Oleksandr Gaydu, chair of the Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy of Ukraine, to talk about our shared priorities in resisting Russian aggression and defending food security.
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Alistair Carmichael MP retweeted
James Heale (@JAHeale) profile picture
James Heale
@JAHeale15 Dec 2025
Alistair Carmichael lists all the majority-Labour select committees against the family farms tax: "Why do you not listen to your own party colleagues?" Starmer: "I do listen to party colleagues all the time." Carmichael: "And then do what you're going to do anyway."
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