Sheridan Perjury Charges Go Ahead

It has been confirmed that former MSP Tommy Sheridan, who recently appeared on Channel 4's Celebrity Big Brother, is now to face trial on perjury charges. The perjury charges relate to his newspaper defamation case which resulted in him being awarded £200,000 damages against the News Of The World in 2006.

Gail Sheridan his wife is also reported to have been served with a perjury charge indictment. As well as the perjury charge Sheridan faces a charge of attempting to persuade another to commit perjury.

The defamation case which lies at the root of the perjury charges took place at a 23 day trial at the Court of Session in August 2006 when Sheridan claimed defamation against the News Of the World. The trial lead to splits in the Scottish Socialist Party and Sheridan later went on to found the Solidarity party which performed dismally at the polls.

In what was claimed at the time by some to have been a perverse decision the jury dismissed the News of the World claims that Sheridan was a serial adulterer and that he had visited a swingers club and also used drugs.

Mr Sheridan has always maintained that he is the victim of a political "witch-hunt".

It seems likely that the media once again will follow this salacious story in detail as it unfolds with the new perjury charges. Whatever the outcome it seems likely we are in for more Tommy Sheridan grandstanding.