Tommy Sheridan

Tommy Sheridan
Sheridan in 2007
Convenor of Solidarity
In office 17 November 2019 – December 2021
Preceded by	Pat Lee Rosemary Byrne
Succeeded by	Office dissolved
In office 3 September 2006 – 13 June 2016 Serving with Rosemary Byrne
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Pat Lee Rosemary Byrne
Convenor of Scottish Socialist Party
In office 1998 – 11 November 2004
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Colin Fox
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow
In office 6 May 1999 – 3 May 2007
Glasgow City Councillor
In office 7 May 1992 – 1 May 2003
Preceded by	E. J. Nolan
Succeeded by	Keith Baldassara
Personal details
Born	(1964-03-07) 7 March 1964 (age 60) Glasgow, Scotland
Political party	Alba (2021–present)
Other political affiliations	Labour (1981–1989) Scottish Militant Labour (1991–1998) SSP (1998–2006) Solidarity (2006–2021)
Alma mater	University of Stirling University of Strathclyde Glasgow Caledonian University

Thomas Sheridan (born 7 March 1964)^[1][2] is a Scottish politician who served as convenor of Solidarity from 2019 to 2021.^[3] He previously served as convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) from 1998 to 2004 and as co-convenor of Solidarity from 2006 to 2016.^[4][5] He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region from 1999 to 2007.

Sheridan was active as a Militant entryist in the Labour Party until 1989 when Labour expelled him,^[6] and became a member of Scottish Militant Labour (SML), which eventually became the core of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP). He was a prominent campaigner against the Poll tax (officially known as 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.^[7] He 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.^[8]

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.^[9] In the following weeks, six of his relations and colleagues were also charged. In October 2010, he appeared together with his wife Gail at a trial for perjury. On 23 December 2010, Sheridan was convicted of perjury, and on 26 January he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment.^[10] The charges against his wife were withdrawn. In the light of the News of the World phone hacking affair, the Crown Office was ordered to reassess the case in 2011.^[11] Sheridan left prison in January 2012 under automatic early release rules.^[12]