While you never know what a new year will bring, this has never been more true than for Seamus Logan during 2024.
Mr Logan began 2024 as an SNP councillor for Fraserburgh and District on Aberdeenshire Council.
Seamus Logan salutes his victory as the new MP for Aberdeen North and Moray East. Gordon and Buchan, Aberdeenshire North and Moray East Election Count at The P&J Live in Aberdeen. Picture: Beth Taylor
However, since the General Election on July 4 he is ending the year as the MP for the new seat of Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
Reflecting on a year of great change, Mr Logan said: “Did I expect to be sitting here at the end of the year as an MP?
“Absolutely not!
“Over the last six months we’ve passed the 1000 cases and mark and will probably pass 2000 very soon. I’m really thrilled every time we’re able to successfully close a case; it means we’ve been able to help someone who came to us in need or with a problem.
“One of the biggest issues raised with me was the debate over assisted dying. Over 300 people got in touch with me with roughly a 60-40 split between those against it and those for.
Seamus Logan joins WASPI protestors (from left) Olive Sharpe (Rosehearty – Regional Organiser), Geraldine Moran (Fochabers) Ethel Risi (Fraserburgh) and National Organiser Linda Carmichael from Aberdeen outside parliament on budget day.
“I think one of the biggest surprises for me since I became an MP is just how tremendously dynamic the job and Westminster is. You’ve got people seeking meetings with you all the time, from sectional interests to charitable bodies facing challenges.
“It’s really good to be able to take these issues and present them in the form of parliamentary questions to Ministers, including one directly to the Prime Minister, which is really satisfying.
“You’re expected to know a lot about a wide range of topics.”
Mr Logan went on to point out that long hours are all part and parcel of the job, with some days not finishing until after 9pm should there be a vote or if there are meetings to attend. Contrary to what many people think about life as an MP, he said that it “most definitely not a jolly”.
Since taking up his seat in parliament, Mr Logan has taken on roles representing his party with DEFRA and, mirroring his 33-year career in the area, health and social care.
Aberdeenshire North and Moray East MP Seamus Logan was appointed Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fisheries.
He continued: “It’s been flat out since I was elected – I had a week off in September but that’s been about it.
“I’ve been very humbled by it all. I couldn’t have done this without my wife Anne, who’s been 200 per cent supportive.
“This is about the third or fourth time I’ve come out of retirement and this has been a big change. At our time of life I think we otherwise would’ve expected to have been off travelling or doing things we enjoy.
“She’s just been tremendous.”
With Labour winning a landslide Mr Logan became one of a raft of new, first-time MPs entering the Commons. He went on to say that while he hoped the government did well so that people would be better off, the months since July had been ones of “missed opportunities”, particularly in the field of reversing changes to pensioners winter fuel payments and changes to inheritance tax.
Buckie Community Hub played host to Seamus Logan’s first constituency surgery after his election.
The latter, he said, had left many famers “caught in the crossfire” as the government seek to hunt down big investors who effectively use farms as tax havens.
Looking towards 2025, Mr Logan said there were many opportunities, both for the SNP and Scotland.
He said: “2025 is a pivotal year in so many ways.
“The SNP have a smaller group of MPs now but we’re still the fourth largest party in Westminster. This will allow us to focus more what matters to the people of Scotland.
“Hopefully 2025 will bring the chance of a reset in a number of vital policy areas, especially removing the two child cap on child benefit, the inheritance tax on farms, winter fuel payments for pensioners and the increases in National Insurance contributions for employers.
Seamus Logan joins fellow MPs Chris Law (left) and Dave Doogan (second left), as well as film stars Joanna Lumley and Sir Ranulph Fiennes in supporting the campaign to ban trophy hunting.
“The NI rise has, I believe, caught many organisations it was never meant to, including charities. The Scottish Government say it’ll take £700 million to mitigate this but Westminster have only provided £300 million.
“Some of the issues which will affect Scotland in 2025 will be the same for all the nations on this island. The international situation remains volatile, as demonstrated by the situation in Syria. I’d like to see a ceasefire in the Middle East and an end to the war in Ukraine.
“I’d also like to see a closer relationship with the EU. Brexit is something Scotland didn’t vote for and it’s interesting to note that the recent tax rises imposed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves are about the same as the amount of money we’ve lost since leaving the EU.”
Mr Logan went on to call for the UK government to give the go ahead to a number of energy schemes in Scotland currently in the pipeline. This includes the carbon capture project earmarked for St Fergus, an initiative Mr Logan stated would hopefully trigger further investment in Peterhead Port.
Scotland, he said, needed to “start feeling the benefit” of these schemes, including the introduction of a Social Tariff on energy prices to help vulnerable people.
He also expressed the hope for positive negotiations between the UK and the EU
With councils, including Moray and Aberdeenshire, considering service cuts in their forthcoming budgets, the MP urged them to rethink many of their planned savings.
Independence remains a priority during 2025 for Mr Logan and his SNP colleagues.
He added: “The allowance Scotland gets from Westminster under the Barnett Formula is just £63 billion whereas our real GDP in 2022 is something like £187 billion.
“This doesn’t include energy like oil and gas, which would add a further £218 billion or so to that figure.
“The SNP believe Scotland is being short-changed by the union. The only way to address this is independence for Scotland.”