Sheridan perjury trial opens on Monday

[q_w_e_r_t_y]

I've read lots about this over the years but I still don't quite get what it's all about What is the SSP? Is that the Scottish version of the Socialist Party? And are they anti or pro Sheridan?

A potted history (which is hopefully not libellous and as balanced as I can be)

In 2004, the NotW ran a story about an unnamed MSP who had visited a sex club. At an emergency SSP exec mtg it was alleged that Sheridan had said that it was him. A few days later, Sheridan resigned as convenor of the SSP citing personal reasons (expecting a sprog). Following that a story appeared in the NotW alleging that Sheridan was having an affair with a woman called Fiona McGuire.

Sheridan decided to sue the NotW for 200K over the story. In the meantime, Sheridan alleges that his car was bugged. The minutes of the SSP exec were supenored (sp?). The SSP refused to hand them over and an exec member was gaoled. At a horrible horrible, bitter twisted meeting that wrecked the left in Scotland for a generation, it was decided to hand over the minutes.

At the trial, SSP exec members were cited, the majority said that the minutes were accurate, a minority said that they were not. Anver Khan the subject of the initial story testified that she had been to a sex club with Sheridan, Fiona McGuire testified that she had an affair with Sheridan, another female comrade testified that she had also had an affair with Sheridan and two women claimed to be present at a sex party with Sheridan, a footballer and a woman who was paid to have sex. Sheridan claimed that these allegations were all untrue and his wife and wider family testified that they could provide alibis for the dates in question.

Sheridan won the case and left the SSP to establish Solidarity. Solidarity members then attempted to bankrupt the SSP by freezing bank accounts and claiming the assets of the party. Sheridan (and Rosemary Byrne then MSP, co-convenor of Solidarity) then refused to pay the wages of the staff that were employed to work for him at the parliament.

Allegations of perjury came from both sides and an investigation was launched. The NotW then published a videotape which it claims is Sheridan confessing to visiting sex clubs and having an affair and announced its decision to appeal the verdict. In the end 7 people were charged with perjury and the appeal was delayed until after the perjury investigation was concluded. Allegations of witness intimidation were also investigated

This is the perjury trial related to the first court case for the Sheridans.

PS the SSP is/was a socialist party in scotland which brought together all the major factions including the CWI (which is the international org of the SP) and the SWP. Both the CWI and the SWP left with Sheridan.

 

[Fullyplumped]

A little reminder that there is a blog giving quite detailed daily coverage of the events in court and witness testimony, this afternoon from the minutes secretary. Barbara Scott. http://sheridantrial.blogspot.com/

 

[Fedayn]

A little reminder that there is a blog giving quite detailed daily coverage of the events in court and witness testimony, this afternoon from the minutes secretary. Barbara Scott. http://sheridantrial.blogspot.com/

A blog by former SWP full timer Frank Dolman.

 

[Fedayn]

A little reminder that there is a blog giving quite detailed daily coverage of the events in court and witness testimony, this afternoon from the minutes secretary. Barbara Scott. http://sheridantrial.blogspot.com/

A blog by former SWP full timer Frank Dolman.

 

[where to]

She further informed the court that, three or so days after Tommy Sheridan's victory in the libel trial, she took the original notes to Fettes Police station in Edinburgh and told the police she had evidence that a crime, ie perjury, had been committed by Mr Sheridan. She did this, she claims to "clear her name" and when asked confirmed that she was accompanied to the Police station by then MSPs Caroline Leckie and Rosie Kane.

hmm, that's where right and wrong start to get very blurred for me.

 

[Fedayn]

hmm, that's where right and wrong start to get very blurred for me.

I'm not very comfortable with it myself. The irony is that those defending Sheridan claim it's perfectly ok for him to drag his former comrades through the courts to denigrate them, discuss their sex lives in court in a bid to 'clear his name' and yet they fulminate when other people us legal methods to clear their name....

 

[Fullyplumped]

I did not know till now that Tommy Sheridan has his own blog, in which he gives his own "100% unedited, 100% unflinching" point of view.

http://tommysheridan.wordpress.com/


Also worth looking at is Love and Garbage written by a Scots lawyer who explains some of the technical aspects of the Scottish system of criminal law.

 

[Fedayn]

I did not know till now that Tommy Sheridan has his own blog, in which he gives his own "100% unedited, 100% unflinching" point of view.
http://tommysheridan.wordpress.com/

As I watched coverage of the first day of our trial today I waited in vain for the key point to be highlighted.
That is that the witness, and indeed the majority of political witnesses, have already given their evidence in Edinburgh four years ago and were rejected by a jury of ordinary folk who listened to the whole case over a 5 week period.

In other words the evidence today was re-hashed testimony that has already been assessed and rejected before.

As regards the first days, there's no new evidence as such, probably a few to come in a similar vein, so in this regard he's spot on. But that's neither the point nor the reality of what's happening. This is way past the, in comparison to this trial, wee internecine spat that took place in August 2006. Barbara Scott is the first witness, there's 180 more in the list, given that there was only 1/3rd of that number of witnesses at the original trial compared to the current one I'm not convinced that it's all going to be 're-hashed testimony'. Tommy is, rather understandably, keen to make people think it's just a rehash, nothing else to hear, move along now…. Sadly, for the Left up here and wider, there's much, much more to come…..

 

[Nigel Irritable]

I'm not very comfortable with it myself.

"Not very comfortable with it"? That's comforting to know I suppose.

That voluntary visit to the copshop to accuse Sheridan of a serious crime is the defining moment of those three people's lives and it is the defining moment of the existence of the rump SSP.

 

[JHE]

"Not very comfortable with it"? That's comforting to know I suppose.

That voluntary visit to the copshop to accuse Sheridan of a serious crime is the defining moment of those three people's lives and it is the defining moment of the existence of the rump SSP.

No doubt they were indignant at Big Tommy's slanders.

What defines Squalidarity? Not a distinct political programme, but loyalty to the highly disloyal Big Tommy and his lies, slanders, treachery and vain stupidity in insisting on sueing the News of the Screws in the first place.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Shouldn't you be off somewhere posting bigoted drivel about Muslims?

 

[Fedayn]

"Not very comfortable with it"? That's comforting to know I suppose.

That voluntary visit to the copshop to accuse Sheridan of a serious crime is the defining moment of those three people's lives and it is the defining moment of the existence of the rump SSP.

I'm sure there'll be several defining moments over the next few months. Whether they will be as significant as the original treacherous pathetic decision to drag people into court to defend a lie will no doubt be revealed.

 

[JHE]

Shouldn't you be off somewhere posting bigoted drivel about Muslims?

It's lucky for Tommy that he lives in a society in which the punishment for his tedious sexual antics is just a prurient gossipy article in the News of the Screws. Under Islamoshite rule, he'd be lucky to survive the flogging - and as for the the unfortunate women involved...

 

[Fedayn]

Fuck sake... Only you could drag this onto your favourite obsession!

 

[butchersapron]

My friends who are still in the SP in England seem pretty clueless about the whole thing.

To be honest, they're just clueless full stop. Their politics revolves around going on union courses.

edit: talking bristol here me dears.

 

[Fedayn]

A little reminder that there is a blog giving quite detailed daily coverage of the events in court and witness testimony, this afternoon from the minutes secretary. Barbara Scott. http://sheridantrial.blogspot.com/

A blog by former SWP full timer Frank Dolman.

An amendment, Frank wasn't an SWP full-timer he worked in the SWP printshop, ie he wasn't a 'political' full-timer.

 

[Streathamite]

JHE and Nigel; could you please do the rest of us a favour and either a) get a room or b) take it to another thread/place, please? Tragic and utterly depressing tho' the whole Sheridan affair is, this thread is too important to be terminally derailed

 

[Streathamite]

"Not very comfortable with it"? That's comforting to know I suppose.

That voluntary visit to the copshop to accuse Sheridan of a serious crime is the defining moment of those three people's lives and it is the defining moment of the existence of the rump SSP.

when someone calls himself 'comrade', then dumps over you, why should you feel you owe him solidarity?

 

[dennisr]

Yep. And what a fucking mess it's going to be.

I wonder if (and if so when...) we find out if (and if so who...) the state played any central role in this. Not as a the 'neutral' court but if any of the player(s) involved in this farce conciously helped to create. The hatred and and bile on all sides means it is understandable if the 'tit for tat' has simply got out of control - but could all of these characters be quite so stupid about the damage being done?

 

[Nigel Irritable]

JHE and Nigel; could you please do the rest of us a favour and either a) get a room or b) take it to another thread/place, please? Tragic and utterly depressing tho' the whole Sheridan affair is, this thread is too important to be terminally derailed

Lick my balls.

 

[where to]

Lick my balls.

ffs. its that sort of talk that created this mess in the 1st place.

 

[weepiper]

ffs. its that sort of talk that created this mess in the 1st place.

 

[laptop]

And he's sacked his brief.

Again.

 

[butchersapron]

Hmm...seeing the way it's going and falling back on his oratorical skills? This a jury trial isn't it?

 

[laptop]

Hmm...seeing the way it's going and falling back on his oratorical skills? This a jury trial isn't it?

Yes, and as yer Scottish lawyer referenced earlier explains, the verdict's on a simple majority of 15.

I never knew that. Actually, it's not exactly right: the trial can continue if up to 3 jurors drop out; conviction requires 8 votes. [Says the Scottish government].

So in England he'd have to convince 3: in Scotland he'll have either to convince 7 or have 3 to drop out and convince 4.

I think we can expect the trial to go on, and on.

 

[q_w_e_r_t_y]

Good lord.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

It worked the last time around.

 

[Streathamite]

Lick my balls.

charming

 

[DexterTCN]

This'll pretty much finish off the Scottish Left for some time.

Now...when will the phone hacking be mentioned? You wonder if the murdochs got something on Fox et al to make them do this, because they caused this by not sticking together. I changed my voting shortly after all of this.

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

This'll pretty much finish off the Scottish Left for some time.

Now...when will the phone hacking be mentioned? You wonder if the murdochs got something on Fox et al to make them do this, because they caused this by not sticking together. I changed my voting shortly after all of this.

Interested to see what Andy Coulson will say under oath.