Alistair Carmichael
Main Page: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)Department Debates - View all Alistair Carmichael's debates with the Cabinet Office
Election of Speaker
Alistair Carmichael Excerpts(9 years, 2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)
I confess this is an honour I had not anticipated when I came to the Chamber today, but on behalf of the elite cadre of Liberal Democrats who have been returned, I should like to congratulate you, Mr Speaker, as others have done, on your most thoroughly well deserved re-election. I confess that when I served as Government deputy Chief Whip in the last Parliament, the relationship with the Speaker was, obviously, not always an easy one, but it was always professional and courteous, and, if I may say so, as an Opposition Back Bencher I find the qualities that you exhibited which occasionally caused me difficulty on the Treasury Bench much more attractive now.
I should also accord my congratulations and those of my hon. and right hon. colleagues to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Sir Gerald Kaufman) on assuming the position of Father of the House. He has long and distinguished service and I am sure that, as others have said, he will serve us well in the new role he has undertaken.