All the Kremlin’s Men: As ex SNP leader Alex Salmond’s fate hangs in the balance over allegations of sexual assault, Russian propaganda outlet signs up disgraced former MSP and ex Bar-L prisoner Tommy Sheridan for new chat show, is Sheridan on standby to be parachuted into RT if Salmond falls?

Dear All

In fitba, a player dribbles down the pitch with a ball towards the opposition goal, then out of the blue, he is tackled badly and falls to the ground, the trainer comes on with the ‘magic wet sponge’ but it can’t help this time! Enter the substitute, who warms up on the sidelines in his tracksuit before stepping onto the pitch, once his boots are checked by the ref.

As the fate of former SNP leader Alex Salmond is in doubt following allegations of sexual assault, it seems that the Kremlin could have a new star in the wings, although playing in another division.  

Convicted perjurer Tommy Sheridan has signed up for a new chat show on a Russian propaganda outlet. As a disgraced politician and former MSP, he hopes to offer “an informed opinion, inspire reactions and provoke debate”. As well as being on Sputnik UK, he will also do a bit of scribbling as he pens his thoughts to paper. In football, anything could happen in the 90 minutes; Tommy Sheridan was jailed in 2011 after lying during his successful defamation case against the News of the World. A spell in Barlinnie Prison could be seen as extend injury time.

Tommy will be lead a series of "exclusive and hard hitting video  broadcasts"  featuring a different guest each week, however it is doubtful that he has managed to secure an exclusive from the two Russian military intelligence offers said to be involved in the Skripal case.

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/05/uk/uk-russians-novichok-intl/index.html

In what may surprise many in the UK political bubble, Sheridan said to Sputnik readers by saying:

“Unlike many other politicians and commentators, my principle are not negotiable. For me integrity is priceless and although many of us may be in the gutter I will always, in the spirit of Oscar Wilde, be looking up for the stars.”

Speaking of the gutter, if you trot along Paisley Road West, you can see the ‘shack’ that Tommy Sheridan is living in, hardly a Russian Gulag in Siberia, complete with a Red Gate naturally.  

Elsewhere in his intro piece, he apparently wrote:

“I have often fallen foul of the law and been incarcerated for my activities but I believe I have always remained true to my socialist principles and tried to speak truth to power no matter the odds.”

Every time he was jailed, I think many would speculate and say ‘done bang to rights’, in politics it isn’t unusual to spin a line but somewhere people have to draw the line before rewriting history, just for the sake of credibility.

His first column for Sputnik reflected on his upbringing in Glasgow’s Pollok, I was brought up there as well, 46 years in the constituency in the ‘good old days’ where people would break into temp accommodation and then knock on your door asking if you would be interested in a three piece suite…… brand new, one owner.

In my old street of Kempsthorn Crescent, it appeared in the Evening Times many years ago as the street that was refused credit. The refusal was based on people going to stores buying fancy TVs and then ‘bumping their credit’. Although there was a lot of comedy, there was also a lot of sadness, lots of unemployment, violence and drugs, not the greatest place to be a stranger or a victim.  That said a few people managed to become footballers and one who was a classmate John Reid did music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-BnB3xxUoA

I quite Reidy, he was a good footballer and musician, a very genuine person.

Back to Tommy, I first met Sheridan down at the Pollok Centre decades ago, he and few like minded individuals were campaigning; he asked me why I was wearing a leather jacket on such a hot day. I explained this is Pollok, better my jacket was slashed than me, I was always practical and forward thinking in my youth.

Anyway Sputnik UK is seen by Intelligence officials as “a platform for Kremlin messaging”, which is par for the course but if you know anything about politics, you will know that all media is seen as being tainted.

The pressure is on Alex Salmond to give up his RT show, but as Salmond loves the attention, I doubt he will go voluntary, and less we forget, he gets a lot of roubles for his trouble. In the event that Salmond and RT part waves if Salmond’s problems mushroom, who will be Russia next choice for an RT slot?

Could it be the substitute…… Tommy Sheridan, with a show called The Tommy Sheridan Show?

That said, I am feeling rather left out, I am sure there is a market for The George Laird Show, even it is just on Youtube!

Tommy Sheridan said:

"I will be interviewing a number of fascinating guests who will offer a fresh perspective often denied by the main stream media. This is a great opportunity to tell the untold and I can’t wait to get started. I am also looking forward to producing my own weekly column with Sputnik which will allow me to speak my mind with no pre-set agenda or censorship.”

Why is it that people feel compelled to say that they will be allowed to speak their mind with no pre-set agenda or censorship? 

If Alex Salmond gets the ‘red card’ from RT, will Tasmina Ahmed Shiekh seek a transfer to second division Sputnik UK? Football is a game of two halves, Tommy Sheridan played his first half as an Cllr and MSP, his second half was a prisoner in the nick in Glasgow, now he is playing ‘injury time’ on Sputnik UK. The chances of getting to the ‘Cup Final’ of regaining the public trust look rather slim to me.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University