This was posted on Tommy Sheridan's Blog yesterday:
Comrades,
By the time you read this I will be a guest of the Crown. Despite a tremendous fight against the combined forces of the state and the Murdoch empire, we have lost this round. But the fight isn’t over yet.
Though I have been in jail before, this time will be tougher because I will be separated from my family. But my plight is nothing compared to the families blown apart and torn apart by the horrors of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have friends whose husbands, sons and fathers have to go to fight wars in these places, some of them never return. My family’s troubles do not compare to the loss these people face.
Across the world there are migrants who have to leave their families and travel across the world, trying to earn enough just to eat, sometimes never seeing them for years, if at all. There are families who lose everything in natural and man-made disasters. In Haiti their lives are destroyed by Earthquake, in Australia by floods, in Gaza by Israeli Bulldozers.
These are the people who make us know that it is right to fight for a better and fairer world, these are the people who show the strength to keep going and fight back. When we fight back it can mean that we become a target of those in power. Right now, I am the target and I am being made to pay. I accept that and, inspired by students across this country, and my brothers and sisters in Tunisia and Egypt, know that it is right to fight on.
It may be some time before I can join you again on the picket lines, at the protests against war and weapons of mass destruction, at the marches and meetings to fight against the slash and burn policies of the Government coalition. But I will be there in spirit and, before long, will be back by your side, fighting the good fight.
I have been humbled and empowered by the strength of the support you all have shown to me and Gail, I am lucky to be supported by some outstanding and talented individuals and organisations, I will be alright. I urge you to give your support to trade unions in their struggle against the cuts, students in their battle for fair and equal right to education, ordinary families on benefits who face the brunt of the tory onslaught. They need you now, more than ever.
By the time you read this I will be a guest of the Crown. Despite a tremendous fight against the combined forces of the state and the Murdoch empire, we have lost this round. But the fight isn’t over yet.
Though I have been in jail before, this time will be tougher because I will be separated from my family. But my plight is nothing compared to the families blown apart and torn apart by the horrors of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have friends whose husbands, sons and fathers have to go to fight wars in these places, some of them never return. My family’s troubles do not compare to the loss these people face.
Across the world there are migrants who have to leave their families and travel across the world, trying to earn enough just to eat, sometimes never seeing them for years, if at all. There are families who lose everything in natural and man-made disasters. In Haiti their lives are destroyed by Earthquake, in Australia by floods, in Gaza by Israeli Bulldozers.
These are the people who make us know that it is right to fight for a better and fairer world, these are the people who show the strength to keep going and fight back. When we fight back it can mean that we become a target of those in power. Right now, I am the target and I am being made to pay. I accept that and, inspired by students across this country, and my brothers and sisters in Tunisia and Egypt, know that it is right to fight on.
It may be some time before I can join you again on the picket lines, at the protests against war and weapons of mass destruction, at the marches and meetings to fight against the slash and burn policies of the Government coalition. But I will be there in spirit and, before long, will be back by your side, fighting the good fight.
I have been humbled and empowered by the strength of the support you all have shown to me and Gail, I am lucky to be supported by some outstanding and talented individuals and organisations, I will be alright. I urge you to give your support to trade unions in their struggle against the cuts, students in their battle for fair and equal right to education, ordinary families on benefits who face the brunt of the tory onslaught. They need you now, more than ever.
In Solidarity,
Tommy
34 comments:
'I have friends whose husbands, sons and fathers have to go to fight wars in these places.....'
Christ! Would you go off to war knowing Tommy was guarding your home front?
"Right now, I am the target and I am being made to pay. I accept that and, inspired by students across this country, and my brothers and sisters in Tunisia and Egypt, know that it is right to fight on."
This is really stomach churning. Is TS really comparing his own perjury trial to the struggle of people in the Middle east against oppressive regimes? Do the limits of this mans ego know no bounds. TS is a convicted perjurer and his present troubles stem from his inability to keep his snake in his trousers and a decision to try to lie about it. To compare this to peopel struggling - and dying - for their liberty is the grossest of insults. I guess it feeds the cult of his personality though.
There was a great article - in the Scotsman if I recall right - about this today. You could link to articles like that as well James or are we only to be blessed mainly with stuff that is sympathetic to TS and his "truth"?
Hello Bunc, I'm a little annonyed at that comment to be honest.
If you have suggestions for articles post them. I posted the SSP's statement and the News of the World's statement, given that I think posting Mr Sheridan's statement is entirely appropriate.
It is a nauseating piece. How disgusting to compare his situation to the plight of people living under tyranny.
I fully retract my slight on you James. I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning I think. After pressing the send button I immediately regretted it ! I stand by my comments re TS though.
No worries bunc.
James - the article I was referring to is in the print version but is a premium article on the Scotsman website. Ill give the link anyway for the sake of completeness.
http://news.scotsman.com/politics/George-Kerevan-Why-the-modern.6704612.jp?articlepage=1
To be fair thanks to this blog we know now, if we had any doubt before, exactly how TS will approach any communication regarding his imprisonment and if you are expecting any sign of acceptance or contrition you haven't been paying close enough attention. there are some books that aren't worth a second read.
There is an illuminating appraisal of Sheridan's conduct at the trial and of his treatment of various witnesses in:
http://betn.at/4u
Hello ID, I agree with you about that comment and have removed it.
Thanks
James
"We shall fight them in the sex clubs, and at the orgies, and between the sheets...
We shall NEVER surrender..."
F.F.S.
Will there never be any end to the places this boy's ego will go to? Comparing himself directly to that poor guy in the picture would be the final straw, if we didn't know TS better.
Well said Tommy Sheridan. Bunc take a deep breath lad. He has clearly written here that his own plight whilst upsetting is nothing compared to the tribulations others face. Perhaps you could read it again and admit your error of misinterpretation. The thing with Tommy is that he is alright now as he says. He has been sentenced. Nothing else will happen to him. Attention now shifts back to the police, the Crown case and the NOTW and their intriguin evidence given by various witnesses from points north, east and south. Anyone who has not been telling the truthknowing that lack of truth has helped convict Tommy will be serving their own time and for a longer period than him. Im getting the popcorn in. Cheers, Peter.
I'm of the opinion that this George McNeilage tape still has some mileage in it.
If it is ever found that it was concocted, then the Notw would presumeably claim to have acted in good faith, having no knowledge of the scam.
However, if it is proven that Tommy Sheridan's phone was tapped: which is starting to look very likely. Then the fact that the timing of the tape was pasted inbetween TS mobile phone calls would point towards criminal collusion between the tapes compilers and the Notw.
What would be the ramifications for Murdoch's empire then, I wonder?
"If it is ever found that it was concocted"
I see that it has now come to light that "The Zinoviev Letter" was...
http://tinyurl.com/686t73l
A conspiracy that involved so many people, now who would have thought that?.
Open Your Ears, Open Your Eyes!
Leaving aside the evidence of numerous socialists wronged by Tommy's egomania, let us look at the tape issue.
Tommy sacked another QC. He then represented himself. This meant his voice would be heard throughout the trial and not just when he gave evidence - which he then didn't.
The jury listened to the range of Tommy's voice for nearly three months. Softness, bitterness, the emotion, the shouting and the pleading. There was virtually no escape.
They heard the voice on the tape.
They saw the Jon Snow interview with Tommy claiming it was his voice, but spliced.
Then Tommy's witnesses created an immense amount of static for the defence by saying it wasn't his voice at all.
For the life of me I cannot fathom why Tommy did not try to call a voice expert, courtesy of Legal Aid - but wanted them to fund a clown instead!
It would be charitable to describe the decision to defend himself as a monumental blunder.
Sacking an eminent QC and without expert evidence on the tape, he only proved that justice is blind but more than a match for his own blinkered ego.
I don't think that megalomaniacal statement will have won Tommy any new friends.
Not a word of contrition, not a thought for the mess he has left behind, just more carping about the Big Bad Murdoch Empire.
Definitely one for the faithful.
Lights out Mr Sheridan.
Night night.
Given that Sheridan`s phone/car/home? was hacked/bugged?, with what could be many years of recordings?, it now brings the tape into question. We will have to wait and see what happens on that front.
OK, not a great TS fan but TS gets three years for lying in court about his sex life and the love of New Labour, John Browne, is put in charge of the review on higher education, after lying in court over his sex life I am informed.
Oh by the way any leading political activist who does not take it for granted that they are being bugged,is naive.
Radio Scotland news drive had some IT security expert on when they did piece on celebs having voicemails hacked and he said records dating back more than one year would be untraceable. Not sure where this would leave those who suspect it had happened as there are no records to prove it.
well i think this will be the last time i visit your blog mr doleman as a commenter, i might have a read now and again but for me its all over.
thanks for the reports of what went on in the courtroom. personally i think the blog has went off track since the guilty verdict.
by all accounts mr sheridan has been placed in a cushy part of the prison but jail time is jail time.
for you peter ta ta cheerio bye bye. thanks for being so one sided it gave me a good laugh reading your unflinching belief in mr s in not being guilty and being set up by the state, the notw, the courts, the crown, the police, his best mate and anyone else that could be against him.
will someone put the lights off when their the last to leave.
knock knock
ps you can keep the after eights even if i win them.
If Tommy had retained counsel, what would they have done differently to help him win?
I've just had a horrific vision, TS gets out of jail and will win over more supporters, blinded by his 'eloquence', and he will drag down the cause even further.
Knock Knock,
So long.
I have enjoyed reading of your resolute support for the prosecution also. All in a good cause. I salute your indefatigability.
There have been some good user names.
The After Eights are on ice in the freezer - best place for chocolate.
I have a copy of "A Trial By Jury" which may also find ts way to a well know person and a few other interesting bits and pieces for the person with the best user name other than Anon.
By the way what was there any significance of Knock Knock as a user name? I did not get it.
Cheers,
Peter
Last one for me too, Peter I always thought your posts were twaddle, but misunderstanding the obvious Police connotation of "Knock Knock" patently passed you by and confirmed my suspicions. Keep wearing the tinfoil hat (remember, crunchy peanut butter on the inside to keep the thought police out)
James, wonderful even-sided effort sir, despite where your sympathies might have led you.
See you in Glasgow soon
Last for me too I think - for a little while anyway. I too am finding the ongoing conspiracy twaddle from Peter a little "wearing".
It's been a pleasure James - if TS does appeal I'll probably be back - I could always do with a good laugh.
Oh peter just for you ill explain the name
Knock knock, who's there?
Or is that hard for you to believe to? But its true, lol
Ps why did you use Peter? Lol that's the name convicts call a cell, their Peter. How funny did you know something before the rest of use did.
Right that's it no more, thanks everyone for the 3 months worth of debate. Night night ( do I have to explain that one for you Peter)
Hello all. I'll be talking to people about what to do with this site over the weekend.
I'm thinking about doing one last article then shutting it down.
Feel free to post your own views
all the best
James
"Feel free to post your own views"
Could be a lot of life left in all this yet!.
1)The appeal.
2)Phone hacking trials?.
I would keep it up, just to be on the safe side!.
James,
All good things (and this one was exceptionally good) have a natural life. You've earned huge respect, you've greatly surprised yourself too, and it's probably going to change your life.
Put it to bed. Move on. A job well done.
Crookie Boy
Picked up a screws on the way home. Oh my goodness, what a lot of stuff. That photo will haunt me.
I haven't posted much but read most. Thanks James et al for your hard work. I do however think that all good things must come to an end, and your suggestion James of one last post and closing down makes sense. Only my opinion, of course!
James, I know you've had some knocks, personal comments on the blog, etc etc, but can you take a bit of constructive criticism? I understand that you are looking for a job in journalism and obviously this blog and the spin offs like the Guardian article and BBC are great for the CV. Can I however pick you up on your grammar, particularly use of "its" and "It's". Sorry, maybe it's an age thing!
And Peter, what can I say. Well just one thing. I don't think you ever told me why you disagreed with Lord Turnbull's direction on "substantially true" in the civil action........?
One last observation. Many people, including myself, have had typos in their posts, which when read back change the meaning. It's a fact of life and more so with predictive typing. My absolute favourite post, therefore, is the person who meant to refer to a "hard night shift", but instead had a "hard night shit". We've all been there. ROFL.
Bye
Watcher said
wonderful even-sided effort sir, despite where your sympathies might have led you.
I must suppport this statement 100% also just wondering if you are in the process of winding this excellent blog down now that the trial is over.
Havent bought the Sun or NoTW for years, not sure if I have ever bought the NoTW, so I havent a clue what they are coming out with now but I know it wont be pretty. Hope you dont print too much of it.
If Mr Anwar is complaining his client/solicitor relationship was unlawfully interefered with by phone hacking, presumably he will give evidence about this in the Appeal?
It is unlikely he could both give evidence and represent TS. So surely he will need to pass the conduct of the Appeal case onto another solicitor?
in addition to ANONYMOUS 9:59(29 Jan),whats happening re.the alleged juror potentially facing criminal charges?.Also wasnt McNeillage charged with contempt of court,unless i dreamt that one? If so whats happening? Agree that all good things come to an end and you have got a life.Also the posts are becoming increasingly vicious and personal and more like a lynch mob against TS.Dont understand the technicalities of blogging.Is it possible to put yours onto hibernation mode for the time being pending future signigficant developments,or would you be able to close it down and relaunch??
Great site james, if you are stopping the blog then I would ask that you leave the site up as a point of reference and a great journalistic reflection for years to come
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