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Council refused to hire ex-MSP over perjury conviction

BBC Tommy Sheridan standing outside the Court of Session - he is dressed in a black jacket, white shirt and red tie. He is mostly bald with white hair.BBC
Tommy Sheridan was told future applications for jobs with Glasgow City Council would not progress

Glasgow City Council refused to give former MSP Tommy Sheridan a job because of the "unacceptable level of risk" his perjury conviction posed, a court has heard.

The former politician had applied to become a criminal justice social worker with Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.

However he was told in a letter that future applications for jobs with the organisation would not progress due to him serving three years in jail for perjury.

In 2011 a jury at the High Court in Glasgow concluded the former MSP lied under oath during his successful defamation action against the News of the World newspaper.

Mr Sheridan received a job rejection letter from the council in August 2024, which said his conviction presented an "unacceptable level of risk" to the organisation.

He then instructed lawyers to go to Scotland's highest civil court in a bid to get the decision overturned.

His lawyer Mike Dailly told Lord Young the council acted unlawfully in its decision to permanently exclude Mr Sheridan from social work jobs.

He said the body which regulates social work in Scotland - the Scottish Social Services Council - had assessed Mr Sheridan as being a suitable candidate for working in the profession.

Mr Dailly said: "It's a simple matter - the petitioner has been assessed as being a fit person for the profession by the statutory social work body. He has also been assessed as being suitable to work with children and younger people under the PVG scheme.

"The petitioner has been told he cannot be a social worker. However, the Scottish Parliament has allowed the SSSC the role and responsibility to determine who is a fit and proper person to be a social worker.

"The SSSC says the petitioner is a fit and proper person. I say the decision made by the council is irrational - it cannot say the petitioner cannot be a social worker."

PA Media Tommy Sheridan at his swearing oath at the Scottish Parliament in 1999 - he is wearing a suit and tie, has short dark hair and is clenching a fist as he takes the oathPA Media
Tommy Sheridan was elected an MSP in 1999 for the Scottish Socialist Party

Mr Sheridan wants Lord Young to pass legal orders stating that Glasgow City Council's decision was "unlawful" as it "permanently excluded" him from working in social work at the local authority.

The former MSP posted online last summer about graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University after undertaking a two-year master's degree in social work.

Mr Sheridan used to lead the Scottish Socialist Party which won a number of seats at Holyrood in 1999 and 2003 before collapsing following his high-profile court case.

Since then he has remained involved in politics as a supporter of Scottish independence group Hope over Fear.

He took the News of the World to court in 2006, alleging it defamed him after reporting claims about his private life.

He netted £200,000 but he was later convicted of perjury during this civil action, and was sentenced to three years in jail.

Glasgow City Council's lawyer Paul Reid KC told the court the local authority acted lawfully and were legally entitled to refuse employment to Mr Sheridan.

He said the matter was an employment decision and could not be challenged by judicial review.

Lord Young told the court that he wanted time to consider the matter, and he would issue a verdict in the near future.