Tommy Sheridan Biography: Thomas Sheridan born 7 March 1964 is a Scottish politician who served as the convenor of the party Solidarity from 2019 to 2021. Prior to that, he was the founding convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) from 1998 until 2004, and later co-convenor of Solidarity between 2006 and 2016. Sheridan represented the Glasgow region as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 1999 to 2007.
Tommy Sheridan Biography
Tommy Sheridan was first arrested at the Faslane nuclear base—home to the UK’s Trident submarine fleet—in February 2000 during an anti-nuclear protest, charged with breach of the peace. At his trial in November of that year, he was convicted of that offence and of resisting arrest, receiving a £250 fine. However, Sheridan, who viewed nuclear weapons as illegal under international law, refused to pay. As a result, he was jailed for five days of a 14-day sentence in December 2000 and released on 22 December.
Tommy Sheridan Biography 2025 Details
Born | 7 March 1964 Glasgow, Scotland |
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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 |
Category | Politician Biography |
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Tommy Sheridan Personal Lfie
He was previously active in the Labour Party as part of the Militant tendency until his expulsion in 1989. Following that, he became a leading figure in Scottish Militant Labour (SML), which later evolved into the SSP. Sheridan gained prominence through his activism against the Poll Tax in Scotland and was jailed for six months in 1991 for attending a warrant sale in defiance of a court order issued by Glasgow Sheriff Court. He was arrested again at Faslane on 22 October 2001 during another early-morning protest but was acquitted in June 2002 due to insufficient evidence, according to the presiding Justice of the Peace. A separate acquittal concerning a February 2001 protest was also challenged by the Crown Office.
About Tommy Sheridan
Thomas Sheridan is a Scottish politician who served as convenor of Solidarity from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party from 1998 to 2004 and as co-convenor of Solidarity from 2006 to 2016. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region from 1999 to 2007.
Tommy Sheridan Wiki
- Born: 1964 (age 61 years), Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Spouse: Gail Sheridan (m. 2000)
- Education: Strathclyde Law School (2015) ·
- Party: Alba Party
- TV shows: Celebrity Big Brother
- Children: Gabrielle Sheridan
- Siblings: Lynn Sheridan, Carol Allan
Early Life
Thomas Sheridan was born to Alice Sheridan, a political activist who often stood as a candidate for political groups associated with her son’s campaigns. Raised in the Roman Catholic faith, Sheridan attended St Monica’s Primary School in Pollok and Lourdes Secondary School. He went on to earn a degree in economics from the University of Stirling.
Later, he completed a Master of Science in Social Research at the University of Strathclyde in 2008, and in 2015, graduated from Strathclyde Law School with a law degree through the university’s two-year fast-track program. Outside politics and academia, Sheridan was also active in junior football, playing for clubs including Larkhall Thistle, Benburb, East Kilbride Thistle, Baillieston Juniors, and St Anthony’s.
Political Career
Sheridan became involved with the Militant tendency while studying at the University of Stirling around 1983, following earlier involvement in a broad anti-Trotskyist coalition that included Liberals, Communists, and Labour Party members. After graduating, he attended Cardonald College as a typing student as part of Militant’s unsuccessful effort to recruit Scottish Labour Students from further education institutions. The Labour Party, under Neil Kinnock’s leadership, ruled that Militant breached the party’s constitution. Sheridan was ultimately expelled from the Labour Party in 1989 for “bringing the party into disrepute.”
As a prominent Militant figure, Sheridan emerged as the leading spokesperson for the campaign against the Community Charge—commonly known as the Poll Tax—which had been introduced in Scotland a year earlier than in the rest of the UK as a trial run. The mass non-payment movement, along with organized resistance to local authorities’ warrant sales (a method of recouping unpaid tax), proved successful and helped Sheridan gain widespread popularity.
Defamation Action
The main article covering this topic is Sheridan v News Group Newspapers Ltd. The defamation trial against the News of the World publishers began at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on 4 July 2006. Unusually for Scottish civil cases, the trial was heard before a jury. During the trial, the jury was presented with allegations that Sheridan had visited swingers’ clubs in Manchester and had adulterous affairs with two women. Although Sheridan claims to be a teetotaller, it was alleged that he drank champagne and used cocaine during one of these extramarital encounters.
Sheridan denied both drinking champagne and any substance abuse. Eleven members of the Scottish Socialist Party’s (SSP) executive committee testified that Sheridan had admitted, during an executive meeting, to attending a swingers’ club with women. However, four other SSP members present at the same meeting supported Sheridan’s claim that he never made such an admission.
Later Career and Other Activities
In the lead-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Sheridan launched a pro-independence speaking tour called “Hope Over Fear.” However, by June 2014, four pro-independence groups—Women for Independence, Labour for Independence, Generation Yes, and the Radical Independence Campaign—had collectively decided to bar Sheridan from their events during the campaign. According to a report in the Sunday Herald, many pro-independence activists felt that Sheridan was using the campaign to gain attention for an appeal against his conviction.
After the Yes campaign’s defeat, Sheridan urged voters to support the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the 2015 general election, arguing that an SNP victory would pave the way for a second independence referendum by 2020. He later headlined a Hope Over Fear rally in George Square on Sunday, 12 October, which stirred controversy when he asked for donations to be sent directly to his home address. He requested that cheques be made payable to a community group run by a former Solidarity candidate.
Tommy Sheridan net worth 2025
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FAQs
What role did Tommy Sheridan play in the Scottish independence referendum?
Tommy Sheridan was actively involved in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, leading a pro-independence speaking tour called “Hope Over Fear.” However, several prominent pro-independence groups chose to exclude him from their events during the campaign due to concerns about his motives.
Why was Tommy Sheridan barred from some pro-independence groups during the referendum?
Groups such as Women for Independence, Labour for Independence, Generation Yes, and the Radical Independence Campaign refused to give Sheridan a platform, believing he was using the independence campaign primarily to draw attention to his appeal against a previous conviction.
What happened at the Hope Over Fear rally in George Square in 2015?
Tommy Sheridan was the headline speaker at the rally and controversially requested that donations be sent to his home address, with cheques made payable to a community group run by a former Solidarity candidate, which drew criticism from some observers.
How did former MSP Rosie Kane describe Tommy Sheridan?
Rosie Kane described Sheridan as a divisive and manipulative figure, warning that events involving him were driven by his ego rather than being inclusive or friendly.
Did Tommy Sheridan support the Scottish National Party after the 2014 referendum?
Yes, after the defeat of the Yes campaign, Sheridan called for voters to support the SNP in the 2015 general election, believing that an SNP majority would lead to a second independence referendum by 2020.