Aberdeenshire North and Moray East MP Seamus Logan looks back at the year since being elected
One year ago today, the SNP’s Seamus Logan was elected as Aberdeenshire North and Moray East MP. Below, he has written about his first year in the role.
What a rollercoaster! A year has flown past, and it has been like no other!
Elation, sadness, excitement, hard work and “first year at the big school” all rolled into one.
Sadness because we buried my wife’s Anne’s beloved mother Margaret the day the election result was announced; the next day Anne and I began the long journey to London.
It’s been a massive upheaval for Anne though she has the consolation of our pet dog Lola for company. Some people think I live in London now, but Anne and I still love living in the Broch.
Most weeks involve up to 12 hours of travel back and forward – car, plane and tube – and that’s without the usual delays. I have a flat near the Houses of Parliament so that makes life easier.
I think I’ve spoken close to 100 times between the House of Commons Chamber and the other place we can debate, Westminster Hall.
I’ve held somewhere near the same number of meetings with lobby groups and charities, and it feels like I’ve attended many more receptions where we learn details of a huge range of topics that we need to be aware of and able to speak on.
That’s the bit that people don’t often realise – you have to know a little about a great deal and a great deal about a little.
I’m also health and social care spokesperson for the SNP group at Westminster and the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as holding the vice-chair position in the fisheries all party parliamentary group; one on the BBC; energy and Ireland and the Irish in Britain amongst others.
I’ve received quite a few visitors including school groups to the Houses of Parliament as well, some of them to the chamber for Prime Minister’s Questions.
Whatever week visitors come, there is always an incredible selection of debates and announcements happening.
Just this past week alone the big failures of the Labour party in Government over the last 12 months have been uppermost in people’s minds: welfare reforms, Winter Fuel Payments and WASPIs – we’ve seen major U-turns on the first two, but radio silence on non-compensation for the 1950s born women, robbed of years of their pensions through DWP maladministration.
I have a weekly column in a national newspaper where I highlight many issues but primarily the case for independence which is continuing to grow as our government at Holyrood thankfully diverges further from whoever occupies the hot seat at Number 10.
When it comes to later in the week, on Fridays and sometimes Saturdays I’m busy in the constituency with surgeries, site visits, meetings with constituents or other similar engagements. I try to keep Sundays free for family stuff but it’s not always possible.
I know it sounds clichéd, but it’s mostly work with at least three 12-hour days a week – add in travel and constituency work and its more often than not a 60-hour week.
However, we are well paid with a budget for support staff so I’m not complaining.
As I said in a newspaper article recently, the honour and privilege bestowed on me is only surpassed by the enormous responsibility and challenge and I am aware of that every day.
Thank you for trusting me to do this for you.
