Scottish Socialist Party leader Sheridan resigns
Tommy Sheridan has stepped down as leader of the Scottish Socialist Party today with immediate effect.
Mr Sheridan, 40, an MSP for Glasgow, said his decision had nothing to do with differences with the party, but was because his wife was expecting their first child and he wanted to spend more time at home.
“After many months of reflection and several weeks of detailed discussion, I have decided to tender my resignation as SSP National Convenor. I have absolutely no major political differences with the SSP, a party I helped to found and have been immensely proud to lead over the last six years.”
He added: “With this new responsibility to deal with, I simply cannot commit either the same time or energy to leading the party as I have done over the last six years.”
Recent poor publicity about party finances and “other swipes against me” were “annoying but irrelevant to my decision”, he said.
The party accepted his resignation but said he would continue to play an important role.
In a statement, the party said: “Tommy has played an outstanding role in the development of socialist politics in Scotland over the course of two decades and has become one of the most effective party spokespersons in UK politics.”
It will use “collective rule” until a successor is appointed in February. The timing of his decision would allow other candidates the maximum time to consider their positions, he said.
Mr Sheridan has a colourful history that includes several spells in prison.
In 1992 he was jailed for six months after defying a court order banning him from a warrant sale, and had later spells for fighting the poll tax and for refusing to pay a fine for taking part in blockades at Faslane nuclear submarine base.
Mr Sheridan, whose parents split up when he was a teenager, said he and his wife were both “excited and petrified” about expecting their first child, but “as relatively ‘older’ parents” had a lot of quick learning to do.
