Regional Lists

'Sheridan's new party is called Solidarity. The two schisms, it was suggested to me by a wag, should now be known as the Trots and the Solids.' Ruaridh Nicoll in the Observer, 1 st April 2007.

Glasgow Region

Scottish Socialist Party candidates

	1. Tommy Sheridan MSP
	Solidarity
	Tommy Sheridan was born in Glasgow in 1964 and educated at Lourdes School. He graduated from Stirling University with a BA in Economics and Politics. Initially a member of the Labour Party, Sheridan came to prominence as an Anti Poll Tax protester and was jailed in 1991. He won almost 20 % of the vote in Pollok in the 1992 general election as a Militant Labour candidate, while still in jail, and was elected a month later as Glasgow District councillor for Pollok, a ward which he held until 2003 when he was succeeded by his agent Keith Baldassara. In the 1994 European elections he came third in Glasgow with 7.6 % of the vote as a Militant and in the 1997 general election he took 11.1 % for the Scottish Socialist Alliance. He was elected as Glasgow's fifth list MSP in 1999 when the Scottish Socialist Party took 7.25 % of the vote in the city, coming just 1,658 votes behind the Tories and 108 votes ahead of the Liberal Democrats. Sheridan proved to be an effective and popular campaigner. His Abolition of Poindings and Warrant Sales Bill Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on the 6 th December 2000 and Royal Assent was given on the 17 th January 2001. At the 2003 election, Sheridan was joined by five colleagues. However, these proved to be much less effective than Sheridan as a lone MSP with the SSP group becoming plagued by in-fighting. The new SSP MSPs were also perceived by many of the public as being more interested in engaging in high profile publicity stunts than working to defend the poor and disadvantaged - for example when they allowed themselves to be suspended from the Parliament on the 30 th June rather than using their votes to prevent Labour and the Liberal Democrats from blocking a motion to compensate the families of 80 victims who died after contracted hepatitis C in blood transfusions. Tommy Sheridan resigned as leader on the 11 th November 2004 to clear himself concerning allegations published in the News of the World, winning £200,000 of damages from the newspaper in August 2006, but later facing accusations of perjury. The SSP group split over the issue with Tommy Sheridan and South of Scotland MSP Rosemary Byrne quitting the party in September 2006 to found Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement. Solidarity Posts: 3 rd September 2006 - Co-convenor with Rosemary Byrne Scottish Socialist Party Posts: 12 th June 2003 - 2 nd September 2006 - Spokesperson on Communities, Finance and Public Services 11 th November 2004 - 13 th February 2005 - Joint leadership (shred by all six SSP MSPs) May 1999 - 11 th November 2004 - leader of the SSP Recent electoral experience As a Scottish Socialist Party candidate: 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow Pollok, 6,016 votes (27.93 %) 2003 Scottish Parliament election, First on Scottish Socialist Party's Glasgow list, 31,116 votes (16.02 %) (elected) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow Pollok, 5,611 votes (21.51 %) 1999 Scottish Parliament election, First on Scottish Socialist Party's Glasgow list, 18,581 votes (7.25 %) (elected) 1999 City of Glasgow Council election, Pollok, 1,214 votes (44.01 %) (elected) As a Scottish Socialist Alliance candidate: 1997 Westminster Parliament election, Glasgow Pollok, 3,639 votes (11.09 %) As a Militant candidate: 1995 City of Glasgow Council election, Pollok, 1,019 votes (48.04 %) (elected) 1994 European Parliament election, Glasgow, 12,113 votes (7.59 %) 1992 Glasgow District Council election, Pollok, ? votes (52 %) (elected) 1992 Westminster Parliament election, Glasgow Pollok, 6,287 votes (19.26 %)
	2. Angela McCormick
	Solidarity
	Angela McCormick, a teacher, was one of the main organisers of last year's G8 protests.Ê She is a leading member of the Stop the War Coalition in Scotland. She is also standing as Solidarity candidate for the Canal ward of Glasgow City Council. Recent electoral experience None
	3. Ruth Black
	Solidarity
	Ruth Black is a former journalist and high profile campaigner on LGBT rights. She is also standing as Solidarity candidate for the Craigton ward of Glasgow City Council. Recent electoral experience As a Scottish Socialist Party candidate:
	4. Tricia Mcleish
	Solidarity
	Tricia McLeish is a founding member of Solidarity and has been an active socialist for over 20 years. She is 44, and works as a technical officer for Glasgow City Council's Land and Environmantal Services and was a Unison (and previously NALGO) shop steward in the council's housing department for 15 years. Tricia was born, bred and still lives in Shettleston, the eldest of six children, all of whom still live in the East end of Glasgow, as do her parents. She was educated at St Andrews in Greenfield. Tricia joined the Labour Party Young Socialists and then Militant in the early 1980's when she was on a youth opportunities scheme and since then has been at the forefront of many political campaigns in Scotland. After being suspended from the Labour Party for her involvement in the Anti-Poll Tax Federation, she went to be a founder member of The Scottish Socialist Alliance, the Scottish Socialist Party and then Solidarity. She is a member of the party's National Steering Committee and still an active trade unionist, leading campaigns against privatisation of services, most notably the back-door privatisation of housing stock through the GHA. Recent electoral experience None
	5. Irene Lang
	Solidarity
	Irene Lang is also standing as Solidarity candidate for the Govan ward of Glasgow City Council. Recent electoral experience None
	6. Graham Campbell
	Solidarity
	Graham Campbell is also standing as Solidarity candidate for the Springburn ward of Glasgow City Council. Recent electoral experience None
	7. Brian Smith
	Solidarity
	Recent electoral experience None

Links

• Solidarity, Glasgow