Alistair Carmichael rules out standing for the Lib Dem leadership

View image | gettyimages.com

Alistair Carmichael has been talking to the Shetland Times about Thursday's general election results in Scotland:

“Something has happened up here. We’re in new territory – we’ve got a competitive politics. The referendum campaign was, on the face of it, lost up here from our point of view. 

“But something changed that engaged more people, that told people that change was possible. 

“There are significant movements towards a more participative, accountable, transparent politics we needed.”

He has also said that he will not be standing in the forthcoming Liberal Democrat leadership contest:

But Mr Carmichael ruled himself out of trying to become the new party leader himself. “I’ve said this before, and nothing has changed in that regard.”

When Alistair spoke about the leadership in February I thought I detected some wriggle room in his denial of interest, but it seems he has decided not to make use of it.

My favoured dark-horse candidates for the next Lib Dem leader have long been Alistair and Steve Webb, but (for different reasons) neither will be standing.

So it looks as though it will be Tim Farron vs Norman Lamb.

Thanks to Mark Pack.