Tommy Sheridan: I'm being victimised for my political past
Former MSP Tommy Sheridan says he is being "victimised" for his political past by Glasgow City Council, after he was rejected for a job as a social worker.The city's Health and Social Care Partnership told Mr Sheridan that all future applications for jobs would be rejected due to him serving jail time for perjury.Mr Sheridan told BBC Scotland News that his gender critical views on trans rights were a factor in the decision by the SNP-run council.Glasgow City Council declined to comment as there is an ongoing case over the issue at the Court of Session.
The socialist politician said he felt "aggrieved" by the situation and was now seeking to enter politics again as a candidate for the Alba party.Mr Sheridan told BBC Scotland's Scotcast podcast that he had "no doubt whatsoever" that he was being blacklisted by the council.He said: "I don't think it chimes with the spirit of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act to hold against someone a 15-year-old conviction."Particularly when I've already had to go through a vetting process, a very stiff vetting process from the body that was set up to regulate social care."
Mr Sheridan went to Scotland's highest civil court after he received a rejection letter in August last year, in a bid to get the decision overturned.The Court of Session heard last month that Glasgow City Council (GCC) refused him a job because of the "unacceptable level of risk" of his perjury conviction.In 2011, Mr Sheridan was found to have had lied under oath during a £200,000 defamation action against the News of the World newspaper.He was sentenced to three years in jail."If I was applying for a job in the PR dept that may have been a consideration," he said."But dealing with people who have got social problems, trying to help people, trying to use your values, your skills, your knowledge, trying to make people's lives better. I don't understand it at all."
Gender critical views
Mr Sheridan believes that a factor is his rejection for a social work job was that his views on transgender issues put him at odds with the SNP-run city council.He said: "I think being a socialist is always difficult for some of the SNP councillors, but I think the biggest area would be my gender critical views."I don't share the SNP's position that someone can declare that they're a man or a woman. I believe in biology, I believe in science, and so does the law now."It's very unusual that the Supreme Court agrees with me, but there you go. I agree with the Supreme court."Now, those are gender critical views that Glasgow City Council SNP group don't agree with. So I've got no doubt in my mind that that's part of the package."
Mr Sheridan previously led the Scottish Socialist Party at Holyrood, which won several seats in 1999 and 2003 before the party fell apart during the high-profile News of the World court case.He has remained involved in politics as a supporter of Scottish independence group Hope over Fear and became a founding member of the Alba party.He has retrained as a social worker, graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University after a two-year master's degree.Mr Sheridan said his own "lived experience" behind bars made him an ideal candidate for a youth social work job in criminal justice."I come from a very working class background, brought up in a housing scheme, having been in and around jails for the best part of 20-odd years."I have intimate knowledge of the processes, challenges and what prison is really like."
'Prison was powder keg'
Mr Sheridan, who rose to prominence as an anti-Poll Tax campaigner, was behind bars in 1992 when he was first elected to Glasgow City Council as an independent socialist.He was jailed for breaking a court order that banned him from attending a warrant sale to recover a poll tax debt.Mr Sheridan said it was a "horrible place to be" and a recalled how a fellow inmate urged him not to "romanticise this place" when he was released."That's always stuck with me and I don't think anybody realises how hard prison is until you've been in prison," he said"The fact that you can be locked up 23 hours a day and all you've got if you're lucky it's a wee telly - it can be a very lonely experience."It can also be a very tough experience because there's a lot of damaged people there, it can become a very violent place."I've seen several very messy assaults and it could be a powder keg. The tension in there is horrible."
Mr Sheridan says he feels "a wee bit aggrieved" by the rejection from Glasgow City Council."I feel as though I did everything right. I retrained, I studied, I worked hard. "I got the qualification and then they've turned around and said, 'no, we're not going to employ you'."So I feel politics is calling out for me again, because I feel that, okay, they don't want me."Mr Sheridan has now put his name forward in the hope of being selected as an Alba candidate for the Scottish parliament.He added: "Why don't I go back into politics and start using the skills I have to communicate, to advocate, to try and promote independence."But also to rage against some of the injustices in our world just now, of which there are far too many."
Mr Sheridan is still awaiting a decision on his action at the Court of Session.His lawyer said the council acted unlawfully in its decision to permanently exclude him from social work jobs.He said the body which regulates social work in Scotland - the Scottish Social Services Council (SCCC) - had assessed him as being a suitable candidate. Glasgow City Council's lawyer Paul Reid KC told the court the local authority acted lawfully and were legally entitled to refuse employment.He said the matter was an employment decision and could not be challenged by judicial review.Lord Young said he would issue a verdict in the near future.Scotcast: What Tommy Sheridan did next is available now on BBC Sounds.
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