Tommy Sheridan

Who is Tommy Sheridan?

Tommy Sheridan is a socialist politician in Scotland. He has held various prominent roles within Scotland's socialist movement and is co-convenor of the left-wing political party Solidarity.

Sheridan was active as a Militant tendency entryist in the Labour Party until 1989 when he was expelled, and became a member of Scottish Militant Labour, which eventually became the core of the Scottish Socialist Party. He was a prominent campaigner against the Community Charge 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. In 2000 and 2002, Sheridan was jailed over the non-payment of fines levied in connection with a breach of the peace committed at demonstrations against the presence of the nuclear fleet at the Faslane Naval Base.

In 2006, in the case of Sheridan v News International, he won an action for defamation against the News of the World and was awarded £200,000 damages. The following year, he was charged with perjury for having told lies to the court in his defamation case. In the following weeks, six of his relations and colleagues were also charged.