SSP statement on Tommy Sheridan sentencing
26-01-2011
Today's proceedings at Glasgow High Court finally end the ill advised action Tommy Sheridan initiated 6 years ago in suing a tabloid over allegations he knew to be true. The jury found him guilty and the court has now passed sentence.
He alone is responsible for where he sleeps tonight, no one else.
He pursued legal action full in the knowledge he would lie in court. He asked his closest political allies and friends to join him in that crazy strategy and then turned on us because we refused. He still shows no sign of taking responsibility for his own actions.
More widely this affair is a stark warning of the dangers of allowing personal celebrity to displace political principles.
The economic and social challenge faced by the people in Scotland are however much more important.
The political injustices they face day in day out is of greater concern to us and can only be solved with socialist policies on jobs, wages, homes and wealth redistribution.
The SSP fully intends to put such policies to the public across Scotland as part of our Holyrood election campaign for a democratic Scottish socialist republic.
Now as never before Scotland needs a party of integrity and clear socialist principles. Holyrood needs socialist MSPs offering socialist policies more than ever as a clear alternative to the cuts and sackings agenda being pursued by the current gang of complacent, out of touch politicians.