Bolton North East MP Mark Logan shared a video of his swearing-in on Twitter. He said: “Houldin the Irish Gaeilge Bible, speakin thon Ulster Scots, representing the great people of Bolton, admiring the United Kingdom #uk #parliament #houseofcommons #languages some speak #διάλεκτο #οικογένεια.” When a Twitter user asked if it was a dialect or a language, Mr Logan replied: “Let the debate begin.” It is not known when MPs from Northern Ireland also chose to speak Ulster Scots when sworn in. Among the cabinet ministers to pledge themselves to the King, Welsh Secretary Robert Buckland was later sworn in twice – once in English and once in Welsh. Also known as Ulster Scotch and Ullans, Ulster Scots is the dialect of Scots spoken in parts of Ulster in Northern Ireland. It is generally considered a dialect or group of dialects of Scots, although groups such as the Ulster-Scots Language Society and the Ulster-Scots Academy consider it a language in its own right. A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, Mr Logan was elected MP for Bolton North East in 2019. He later said his “single priority” shortly after taking office was to steer Bolton North East through Covid-19. The Antrim man says he is “fully committed” to bringing more police to Bolton’s streets, as well as supporting more funding for the NHS and a major cash boost to schools across the constituency. By supporting all these critical investments, he believes the economy needs to grow by inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and also attracting more foreign investment to Bolton. Mr Logan said he is not a career politician who has worked in business before and after serving the UK in the Foreign Office. He was a senior executive in a multinational corporation and most recently a Senior Director in a management consulting firm. He believes too many people in parliament have worked in the “political bubble and London for too long” and are thus cut off from the reality of life in modern Britain.
