By Indybag
The career of Tommy Sheridan is a study in how to torch your own legacy. We’ve seen him rise from a cell during the anti-poll tax riots to the heights of the Scottish Parliament, only to end up as a perennial figure of controversy. Once known for his oratorical fire and an apparently genuine anti-establishment stance, Sheridan’s later years have been defined less by winning for the working class and more by his presence in the courtrooms and on the airwaves of foreign-funded media.
The Sputnik Years and the Kremlin Mouthpiece
Between 2018 and 2022, Sheridan found a new pulpit: Sputnik UK, a media outlet funded directly by the Russian government. Hosting “The Tommy Sheridan Show,” he positioned himself as a voice for the voiceless, focusing on Scottish independence and critiques of the “corporate mainstream media.”
But his association with a Kremlin-backed agency became a flashpoint for folk who actually value democracy. Sheridan frequently used his platform to frame the geopolitical landscape as a struggle against Western hegemony, a stance that reached a breaking point during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He faced intense backlash for suggesting the conflict was “manufactured” by NATO expansion rather than Russian aggression. When you start echoing the narratives of authoritarian regimes while claiming to be a socialist, you’ve lost the plot. The “Yes” movement rightly distanced itself from a man who had become a mouthpiece for Russian soft power.
The Reactionary anti-woke pivot: Anti-Trans Rhetoric
In recent years, Sheridan has moved into the “anti-woke” arena, aligning himself with gender-critical groups that spend more time attacking trans folk than the Tory establishment. He has been vocal in his opposition to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) reform, using his remaining platform to frame the protection of trans rights as a threat to women and children.
It’s a classic reactionary pivot. By leaning into anti-trans rhetoric, he’s found a new audience among the same people who follow the Alba Party’s “strongman” style of politics. Instead of sticking to the class-based solidarity that built the SSP, he’s opted for the divisive culture wars that only serve to split the movement and punch down at a vulnerable minority. It’s a sad end for a man who once talked about unity.
The Legal Labyrinth: Fact vs. Allegation
To try to understand Sheridan is to navigate a mess of legal battles. It is vital to distinguish between the crimes he was actually convicted of and the clouds of suspicion that follow his financial dealings like a bad smell.
1. The Perjury Conviction (2010)
Sheridan’s primary legal mark is his 2010 conviction for perjury. This was the result of a saga that began when he sued the News of the World for defamation over claims about his personal life. He won £200,000 in damages, but a subsequent police investigation -the most expensive perjury probe in Scottish history – proved he had lied under oath during that trial.
He was sentenced to three years in prison and served one. The irony is that the civil court refused to overturn his libel victory, creating a bizarre legal paradox: Sheridan was simultaneously a victim of tabloid lies and a convicted liar himself.
2. The Financial Clouds
While the perjury is a matter of record, Sheridan has faced several high-profile financial allegations that never resulted in charges.
Hope Over Fear (2016): Former allies alleged that funds from the “Hope Over Fear” campaign were mishandled. Sheridan dismissed this as a “smear campaign,” and no legal action followed.
Alba Party Inconsistencies (2026): Most recently, in early 2026, the Alba Party reported “inconsistencies” in their accounts to Police Scotland. As a prominent figure in the faction involved in these internal disputes, Sheridan’s name was once again linked to financial controversy. As of April 2026, he has never been charged or convicted of financial fraud regarding Alba, and at present, there are no published allegations but the pattern of “inconsistencies” is hard to ignore.
A Legacy in the Bin
Whether you view him as a principled socialist or a self-destructive firebrand depends on how much you’re willing to overlook. While his perjury conviction is a fact, his later career -from the studios of Sputnik to the divisive “anti-woke” circuit -has become a battleground of “alternative” narratives.
Sheridan and his grift is a distraction our Yes movement can’t afford. We need a future built on collective power, not the ego of a man who can’t help but trip over his own feet in a courtroom.
