Alistair Carmichael retains Orkney and Shetland seat

July 5, 2024 at 7:27 am

Alistair Carmichael MP, was returned to the Orkney and Shetland seat at Westminster.

Alistair Carmichael has claimed a clear victory in the UK General Election, returning to the Orkney and Shetland seat for a seventh time.

Mr Carmichael, of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, won with 11,392 votes from a turnout of 20,794.

The Orkney and Shetland turnout in this election was 60.74 per cent of a possible 34,236. This compares with 67.7 per cent in 2019. A total of 106 spoilt ballot papers were rejected.

Robert Leslie of the Scottish National Party followed in second place, with 3,585 votes.

In third was Scottish Greens candidate Alex Armitage, with 2,046 votes. This was the first time his party has contested the Orkney and Shetland Westminster seat.

Fourth place went to Reform UK candidate Robert Smith, who gained 1,586 votes. He was followed by Conor Savage of the Scottish Labour Party, with 1,493 votes; and Shane Painter of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, with 586.

Read our full coverage of the elections, and thoughts from our MP and other contenders on the changing political landscape, in next week’s edition of The Orcadian.