Orkney & Shetland
Liberal Democrat hold

This long-term Liberal stronghold has already been passed on at a general election once, from Jo Grimond to Jim Wallace in 1983, and on the latter's assumption of the important role of Liberal Democrat and junior coalition) leader in the Edinburgh Parliament, the task of holding the northernmost seat falls to Alistair Carmichael. All historical and common-sense arguments suggest that he can and will. This is far and away the Liberal (Democrat) seat with the longest, and safest, continuous representation. In its attitudes it is independent both of the United Kingdom as a whole and even of Scotland. It should not be forgotten that Lerwick, the Shetland capital, is 204 miles north of Aberdeen - and just 234 miles west of Bergen in Norway.

Alistair Carmichael has followed the Scottish "deputy prime minister" Jim Wallace as the Liberal Democrat's candidate for this 50-year long stronghold. A chubby-faced, small-eyed solicitor, born 1965 and educated at Islay High School and Aberdeen University, he will be a veritable shoo-in in this traditional rural, small town and island seat, as an island hill farmer's son, married to a vet and who, as a solicitor and former deputy procurator fiscal, can more than reassure on the law and order flank. He will also benefit from his party's solid occupancy of the constituency's two Holyrood seats.

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   Thriving Wealthy Achievers, Suburban Areas 5.25% 14.99% 35.00 Affluent Greys, Rural Communities 35.34% 2.13% 1,662.23 Prosperous Pensioners, Retirement Areas 0.93% 2.49% 37.38 Expanding Affluent Executives, Family Areas 5.82% 4.43% 131.47 Well-Off Workers, Family Areas 1.39% 7.27% 19.15 Rising Affluent Urbanites, Town & City Areas 0.00% 2.56% 0.00 Prosperous Professionals, Metropolitan Areas 0.00% 2.04% 0.00 Better-Off Executives, Inner City Areas 1.46% 3.94% 37.00 Settling Comfortable Middle Agers, Mature Home Owning Areas 16.86% 13.04% 129.32 Skilled Workers, Home Owning Areas 6.67% 12.70% 52.52 Aspiring New Home Owners, Mature Communities 7.77% 8.14% 95.43 White Collar Workers, Better-Off Multi Ethnic Areas 2.12% 4.02% 52.69 Striving Older People, Less Prosperous Areas 3.33% 3.19% 104.68 Council Estate Residents, Better-Off Homes 11.52% 11.31% 101.82 Council Estate Residents, High Unemployment 0.09% 3.06% 2.86 Council Estate Residents, Greatest Hardship 1.45% 2.52% 57.47 People in Multi-Ethnic, Low-Income Areas 0.00% 2.10% 0.00 Unclassified Unclassified 0.00% 0.06% 0.00

Area Percent GB Percent Index GB=100   £0-5K 8.71% 9.41% 92.56 £5-10K 16.94% 16.63% 101.87 £10-15K 17.59% 16.58% 106.12 £15-20K 14.60% 13.58% 107.51 £20-25K 11.12% 10.39% 106.95 £25-30K 8.17% 7.77% 105.10 £30-35K 5.93% 5.79% 102.42 £35-40K 4.30% 4.33% 99.27 £40-45K 3.13% 3.27% 95.86 £45-50K 2.29% 2.48% 92.35 £50-55K 1.69% 1.90% 88.86 £55-60K 1.26% 1.47% 85.43 £60-65K 0.95% 1.15% 82.12 £65-70K 0.72% 0.91% 78.95 £70-75K 0.55% 0.72% 75.92 £75-80K 0.42% 0.57% 73.05 £80-85K 0.33% 0.46% 70.33 £85-90K 0.25% 0.37% 67.75 £90-95K 0.20% 0.31% 65.32 £95-100K 0.16% 0.25% 63.02 £100K + 0.69% 1.34% 51.20