In this episode we explore the highs and lows of coalition government through the eyes of Alistair Carmichael, former Deputy Government Chief Whip for the Liberal Democrats during the 2010-2015 coalition. Carmichael reflects candidly on how he personally navigated the seismic challenges of coalition politics, from managing party discipline to reconciling conflicting priorities within the government to providing pastoral support to colleagues.
Alistair Carmichael offers a fascinating account of the inner workings of the coalition government, discussing the monumental challenges faced during his time as Deputy Chief Whip in the coalition government. Reflecting on the dynamic interplay between national, party, and constituency interests, he describes the delicate balance required to maintain stability during a period of economic crisis. The conversation sheds light on the nuanced strategies he employed to hold his party together, including persuading MPs to support controversial policies like the rise in tuition fees, and how he worked to maintain cohesion within a fractious parliamentary party.
He shares vivid memories of key moments in the coalition, including the volcanic ash cloud that disrupted his campaign and the EU budget veto that nearly shattered government unity. He also discusses the pastoral side of his role, describing how he supported MPs through personal and professional crises, even as he juggled the unique challenges of representing one of the UK’s most remote constituencies. His reflections highlight the personal toll of coalition politics but also affirm his belief in the value of entering government to make a meaningful difference
The episode concludes with Carmichael’s thoughts on the legacy of the coalition and lessons for future Liberal Democrats.
Alistair Carmichael MP
The Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP is a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament, representing the Orkney and Shetland constituency. Since becoming an MP in 2001, Alistair has served in several positions on the Liberal Democrat frontbench, most notably as a Government Whip (2010-13) and as Secretary of State for Scotland (2013-15) during the coalition government. In September 2024, he was elected as the chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.
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[00:00:00] Intro: You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/PM.
[00:00:17] Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters Whipping Yarns, our series peering into the hidden world of Westminster's whips. I'm Ruth Fox.
[00:00:24] Mark D'Arcy: And I'm Mark D'Arcy for decades, the Lib Dems had hoped to win enough MPs to force their way into government in coalition with one of the bigger parties. In 2010, under Nick Clegg, they finally achieved that dream, only to see the prize turn to ashes in an electoral debacle in 2015.
[00:00:41] Ruth Fox: And one of the few senior Lib Dems to survive the wrath of the voters was Alistair Carmichael, who entered government as Deputy Chief Whip, and soon had to persuade his MPs to abandon key promises to the electorate, in particular on student tuition fees.
[00:00:56] Mark D'Arcy: We began by asking him what it was like after long years as the third party to enter government.
[00:01:03] Alistair Carmichael: I don't think I can really actually sum it up in a single word. I mean, first of all, we had had a run up to the 2010 election campaign that had lasted for about six months. You know, everybody knew it was coming, but you had to wait, and we were in constant campaign mode. We then had the campaign itself.
[00:01:22] You may remember, in the middle of the campaign, we were hit by a cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland. Which, if you were, as I was trying to do, get round 34 inhabited islands in Orkney and Shetland, plus be available to take part in television interviews and debates in Edinburgh and Glasgow, it was exhausting.
[00:01:44] The first memory I have of the period after that election was on the Saturday morning, I was flying out of Orkney to come down here for the first meeting of the parliamentary party, and in Kirkwall Airport, having got my boarding pass, I went and sat down with a cup of coffee, and on a pretty hard, uncomfortable airport seat, fell asleep.
[00:02:07] The airport staff came and sort of woke me up and said, Alistair, everybody else is on the plane, you have to go through security now. So, I got here, and actually, although I had seen the arithmetic, I knew what the outcome of the election was, it was only really when I got to the LGA building in Smith Square that I had to fight my way through the waiting press corps, which is not normal, let me tell you, for Liberal Democrat parliamentary party meetings.
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The UK Spending Review outlines how Government funds will be allocated over several years. Unlike the Budget, which raises revenue, the Review decides how it is spent. But how is it approved? What role does Parliament play if it doesn’t vote on the Review itself? This blog explores how the Spending Review works, how it differs from the Budget, and how Parliament holds the Government to account through the Estimates process.
On Friday 13 June, the House of Commons will once again debate the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Specifically, it will hold a second day of Report Stage, during which the whole House will debate and vote on amendments. This briefing explains the structure of Report Stage, what happened on the first day of Report Stage, how amendments are selected and grouped, on which amendments a decision can still be taken, and the likely sequence of events this Friday, including whether a final vote will take place.
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, will deliver a statement on the Spending Review. MPs will resume Report Stage of the assisted dying bill and debate key legislation on football governance, mental health, and planning and infrastructure. Peers and MPs are expected to resolve their standoff over AI and copyright in the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The Commons Defence Committee will hear from the lead reviewers of the Strategic Defence Review, while a Lords Committee will examine the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty issue. The Hansard Society’s Director will give evidence to the Modernisation Committee about access to the House of Commons and its procedures.
In this episode, we explore why ministers keep bypassing Parliament to make major announcements to the media — and whether returning to the Despatch Box might help clarify their message. We unpack the Lords' uphill battle to protect creators’ rights in the Data Use and Access Bill, challenge claims that the Assisted Dying Bill lacks scrutiny, and examine early findings from a Speaker’s Conference on improving security for MPs, as threats and intimidation against politicians continue to rise. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.
Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and why legislative and cultural change are needed to improve Parliament's scrutiny role. Our evidence joins calls for a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant agreements, a stronger role for Parliament in shaping negotiating mandates and monitoring progress, and a sifting committee tasked with determining which agreements warrant the greatest scrutiny.
