55 Facts About Tommy Sheridan

Thomas Sheridan was born on 7 March 1964 and is a Scottish politician who served as convenor of Solidarity from 2019 to 2021.

Tommy Sheridan previously served as convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party from 1998 to 2004 and as co-convenor of Solidarity from 2006 to 2016.

Tommy Sheridan was a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region from 1999 to 2007.

Tommy Sheridan was active as a Militant entryist in the Labour Party until 1989 when Labour expelled him, and became a member of Scottish Militant Labour, which eventually became the core of the Scottish Socialist Party.

Tommy Sheridan was a prominent campaigner against the Poll tax in Scotland, and was jailed for six months for attending a warrant sale in 1991 after Glasgow Sheriff Court had served a court order on him banning his presence.

Tommy Sheridan was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a Glasgow representative and re-elected in 2003 despite, in 2000 and 2002, being jailed over the non-payment of fines levied in connection with breach of the peace convictions resulting from his actions at demonstrations against the presence of the nuclear fleet at the Faslane Naval Base.

On 23 December 2010, Tommy Sheridan was convicted of perjury, and on 26 January he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.

Tommy Sheridan left prison in January 2012 under automatic early release rules.

Tommy Sheridan's mother was Alice Tommy Sheridan, a political activist who stood as a candidate for political groups involving her son.

Tommy Sheridan, raised in Roman Catholic faith, attended St Monica's Primary and Lourdes Secondary before studying at the University of Stirling, where he received a degree in economics.

Tommy Sheridan obtained a MSc in Social Research at the University of Strathclyde in 2008.

Tommy Sheridan studied law at Strathclyde Law School, on the two-year fast track degree, graduating in 2015.

Tommy Sheridan played football at Junior level with Larkhall Thistle, Benburb, East Kilbride Thistle, Baillieston Juniors and St Anthony's.

Tommy Sheridan became a member of the Militant group while a student at Stirling University in around 1983, after being active in a broad-based anti-Trotskyist group including Liberals and Communists as well as Labour Party members.

The Labour Party, led by Neil Kinnock at the time, found that Militant contravened the Labour Party constitution, and Tommy Sheridan himself was expelled from the Labour Party in 1989 for "bringing the party into disrepute".

The campaign involving the refusal to pay the tax, together with resistance to warrant sales which local councils held to try to recoup the money, was ultimately successful and Tommy Sheridan became a popular political figure.

McAlpine has since written about the Tommy Sheridan she became close to, with reference in particular to the defamation case.

Tommy Sheridan was a leading figure in negotiations to establish the Scottish Socialist Alliance in 1996, which evolved into the Scottish Socialist Party in 1998.

Tommy Sheridan became the convenor of the party and was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as a Glasgow representative and re-elected in 2003.

Tommy Sheridan was active in implementing changes in Scottish law, including the Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Act 2001, which he introduced as bills in Holyrood on 6 December 2001.

On 11 November 2004, Tommy Sheridan stepped down as convenor of the SSP, citing his wife Gail's pregnancy as a prime reason.

Tommy Sheridan later branded those who refused to support him as "scabs".

The minutes of the meeting which detailed the deliberations leading to Tommy Sheridan's resignation were kept confidential until subpoenaed by News International.

Eleven members, including four of the party's MSPs, stated they heard Tommy Sheridan admit to visiting the swingers' club at that meeting.

Rosemary Byrne MSP and two other members of the executive committee, Graham McIver and Pat Smith, gave evidence that Tommy Sheridan made no such statement.

At the annual conference of the SSP in early 2005, Tommy Sheridan was elected to the SSP executive and at the March 2006 conference, he was elected as party co-chair.

However Tommy Sheridan left the SSP in August 2006, accusing the SSP of being part of "the mother of all stitch-ups" involving not only their leadership, but MI5 and News International.

Tommy Sheridan was originally set to re-contest the post Scottish Socialist Party convenor at the October 2006 conference, and Colin Fox claimed he had only established the new party because he did not stand a chance of winning back that role as SSP convenor.

Tommy Sheridan was first arrested at the Faslane nuclear base, the location of Britain's Trident submarine fleet, for a breach of the peace offence committed during a demonstration in February 2000.

Tommy Sheridan was arrested again at Faslane on 22 October 2001 shortly after the protest began at 7am.

Tommy Sheridan was cleared when the case came to court in June 2002, the Justice of the Peace said there was insufficient evidence.

Tommy Sheridan was one of the first to be arrested for a breach of the peace at a demonstration at Faslane on 11 February 2002.

In September 2006, Tommy Sheridan formed a new political party in Scotland named Solidarity, with himself and fellow MSP Rosemary Byrne as joint convenors.

Tommy Sheridan narrowly failed to be re-elected in the 2007 Holyrood election as top of his party's list nominees for Glasgow.

The party stood a candidate in by-elections in 2008 in Glasgow East and the Glenrothes, and Tommy Sheridan himself stood in the 2009 Glasgow North East by-election.

Tommy Sheridan resigned as the co-convenor of Solidarity in June 2016, but returned as convener in 2019.

The jury heard allegations that Tommy Sheridan had visited a swingers clubs in Manchester and engaged in adulterous affairs with two women.

Tommy Sheridan denies drinking the champagne and the claim of substance abuse.

On 14 July 2006, Tommy Sheridan sacked his legal team and began representing himself.

When she stated that she was embarrassed about her past, but that she was telling the truth, Tommy Sheridan unflinching brandished her as a perjurer, plotter and gold-digger.

On 1 October 2006, the News of the World reignited controversy by publishing new evidence in support of its claim that Tommy Sheridan lied to the Court of Session.

The tape had been made without Tommy Sheridan's knowledge using a hidden camera by SSP member George McNeilage in McNeilage's house after he invited Tommy Sheridan there.

The newspaper has not been able to produce any images from the video showing Tommy Sheridan's face and Tommy Sheridan says the video is a fake.

Tommy Sheridan conceded his voice was on the tape but suggested it was spliced with clips of the voice of someone else.

On 16 December 2007, Tommy Sheridan was charged with perjury in relation to the News of the World case.

However, a few weeks into the case, Tommy Sheridan instructed his Solicitor Aamer Anwar, who had defended him since 2007, to withdraw Scott's instructions.

Tommy Sheridan then conducted his own defence, with Anwar assisting him as amicus curiae.

Tommy Sheridan was released to a Home Detention Curfew on 30 January 2012, having served just over one year of his sentence.

In March 2007, Lothian and Borders Police investigated claims that Tommy Sheridan had been bugged after a suspicious device was found in his car.

Tommy Sheridan asked for cheques to be made out to a community group run by a former Solidarity candidate.

Tommy Sheridan had a weekly Sunday morning show on Talk 107 for 18 months, but the station did not renew his contract due to cutbacks and changes to programming that saw Mike Graham and others leave Talk107.

Tommy Sheridan hosted a chat show during the Edinburgh fringe in 2007, which received muted reviews.

Tommy Sheridan appeared in the Celebrity version of Big Brother UK.

Tommy Sheridan received mixed reactions from the crowd upon both entry and exit, and admitted during the post-eviction interview that his primary motivation for taking part was that he "needed the money".

Tommy Sheridan cited the reason as his occasional role presiding over funerals.