Campaigners renew calls for MP’s resignation

The petitioners in the legal case against the election of Alistair Carmichael have, this afternoon, renewed their calls for the MP to resign.

They also confirmed they will not be appealing the judges’ decision, issued earlier today, which ruled the former Scottish Secretary had not broken electoral law.

Speaking at a press conference in Kirkwall today, Fiona Grahame said: “As you can imagine we hoped to win the case. We feel we have won the moral argument.

“Certainly, in the opinion of the judges, they felt we were right to bring this petition.”

She added: “We failed on one tiny point and that is he [Alistair Carmichael] did not make an actual statement to the fact he was an honest person.

“The judgment was damning of his personal character.”

Tim Morrison said they had won two out of the three legal issues in dispute.

He said: “My message to him tonight is to resign, and resign now.”