Shame about the Case

Those outside of our little nation of Scotland may be only fleetingly aware that we are in the middle of a rather nasty perjury trial at the moment. It would unwise, and possibly illegal, to sound off about the trial while it is still "live". There are plenty of other people blogging and commenting in a much more profound and knowledgeable fashion than I could ever attain to! 

However, it revolves around a guy called Tommy Sheridan, and a rather tasteless spat with a tabloid newspaper. It would be unwise for me to comment on that. My friends and family know how I feel about the tabloid press.

The sad thing is this. Tommy Sheridan was a political star, and a superb orator. He told things as they are without fancy words, and spoke to the working classes, and the non-working classes, in a way that gave people hope that things could be different, and in a way that reminded my old dad of some of the great socialists that Glasgow has produced in the past. I considered him a hero in my earlier ministry. Here was a people's champion, and someone that could be trusted to deliver, during a time when New Labour got all "Tory" on us. I loved him and he always gave me a warm feeling inside and was capable of really firing me up. I was not alone.

Whatever has happened, and much has happened, a super wee political party now lies in ruins when it had the potential to grow to be quite big in Scotland, in my opinion. His reputation as a man has also been totally ruined, and it has all ended in tears. There will be no way back for the Scottish Socialist Party.

As I read more and more in the press, and listen to television news covering the current trial, I just feel terribly let down, as I'm sure thousands of others do too. So much hope was pinned on this man and his vision.

Whatever happens, and whatever the court decides to be true, something special died along the way. It probably died before the tabloid press even got involved. For that I could be moved to weep.