Letter to The Herald

Council tax pledges

George Lyon suggests that the Scottish Socialist Party should try to
build a consensus to abolish the hated council Tax (Letters, November
23). We have attempted to. The problem we have faced is that parties
supposedly committed to its abolition will in fact do nothing to get
rid of it.

In 2003 I stood on an election manifesto which pledged that, if
elected, our MSPs would bring forward legislation to abolish the
council tax and replace it with a tax based on the ability to pay.
The strange thing is that according to the Scottish Liberals' 2003
election manifesto, so did Mr Lyon.

The Liberals' manifesto said: "[We will] replace council tax with a
local income tax related to ability to pay . . ." Just in case that
seems like ancient history and a promise that can safely be ignored
because it was made before the Liberals went into coalition with New
Labour, can I point to the Scottish Liberal Democrats' manifesto for
May 2005? It stated: "Ten Reasons to Vote Scottish Liberal Democrat –
Reason Number 05: Axe the Council Tax."

So, George, the next time it comes to an election, who should the
voters trust? Those who try to make good on their manifesto promises
or those, like the Liberal Democrats, who think that promises to the
electorate aren't worth the paper that they're written on?

Tommy Sheridan, MSP, The Scottish Parliament.

Sheridan held overnight, appears Glasgow Sheriff Court Tuesday

Glasgow Scottish Socialist Party MSP Tommy Sheridan has been held overnight
at Helen Street police station and will appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on
Tuesday 22nd November alongside two other campaigners against the Home
Office dawn raids to deport asylum seekers.
Sheridan was arrested on Monday morning after a successful direct action
prevented Home Office immigration officials and police from leaving the
Brand Street offices where the dawn raids are launched from.

Following the arrest and detention of Tommy Sheridan and others, there will
be a protest at the Glasgow Sheriff Court. However, please note that the
time for the protest outside the Sheriff Court today (Tuesday) has been
changed to 1.30 pm.

SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 19/11/05

MSP Sheridan arrested after peaceful direct action

Scottish Socialist Party MSP Tommy Sheridan was today arrested along with
one other protestor following peaceful direct action at the immigration
office, Brand Street, Glasgow that succeeded in preventing any dawn raids by
Home Office immigration officers.
Those taking part included Paddy Hill, founder of the Miscarriages of
Justice campaign MOJO.
Tommy was arrested just as the demonstration was ending and following a
short speech in which he thanked the police for the way they had handled the
protest.
Tommy was charged with breach of the peace and was taken to Helen Street
police station.
Protesters who witnessed the arrest said that it was completely unnecessary
and questioned why Sheridan had been picked out for arrest given that he was
only one of approximately 40 people who had attended the event including
Paddy Hill and a Church of Scotland minister.

Before his arrest Tommy had said;
"People are being removed from their homes in disgraceful dawn raids with
children being dragged out of bed in their night clothes and deported.
"I as an ordinary human being think that is unacceptable in the 21st century
and we're calling for a more humane immigration service at the very least.
"We are hopefully going to stop any dawn raids today - that's what our
target is."

BBC

Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan has been arrested along with two other people during a protest outside an immigration office in Glasgow.

Mr Sheridan was among a group of 25 protesters who blockaded the office in Brand Street, Govan, on Monday.

He said they were protesting against "disgraceful" dawn raids on failed asylum seekers prior to deportation.

The Home Office said the protest would not prevent the government from enforcing its "fair" asylum policy.

Police confirmed that Mr Sheridan had been arrested along with two other people.

Prior to his detention, Mr Sheridan said protesters were hoping to stop raids taking place.

The demonstrators blocked the gates through which they said the vans which carry out the dawn raids have been leaving and entering.

Mr Sheridan said people were being removed from their homes in "disgraceful" dawn raids with children being dragged out of bed in their night clothes and deported.

The MSP said: "I as an ordinary human being think that is unacceptable in the 21st century and we're calling for a more humane immigration service at the very least.

"We are hopefully going to stop any dawn raids today - that's what our target is."

Mr Sheridan said Scotland was a depopulated and ageing country which needed "new blood" and the authorities should be inviting people to stay instead of deporting them.

The MSP said recent high-profile dawn raids involved families who had stayed in Scotland for five years and who considered themselves Scottish.

"These youngsters want to stay in this country and help Scotland develop as a nation of multi-culturalism and I think that's something that should be welcomed and supported," he added.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said the blockade had forced the temporary closure of the immigration office.

"When protest is no longer peaceful and prevents individuals from doing their jobs, it becomes unacceptable," the spokesperson said.

"Behaviour such as this will not prevent the government from continuing to enforce its firm but fair asylum policy in Scotland and across the UK."

Early morning visits were aimed at catching whole families together and were carried out as sensitively as possible, the spokesperson added.

Commenting on Mr Sheridan's arrest, Tory MSP Bill Aitken said: "It is pathetic. People in Scotland are becoming tired of the political posturing of the Scottish Socialists and Tommy Sheridan in particular.

"There are two options here - either he is not prosecuted and therefore denied the oxygen of the further publicity he craves, or he is prosecuted and punished in a suitable way.

"Obviously this cannot be by means of a fine, because we know the SSP don't pay fines."

He added: "I think the parliament needs to start looking at their behaviour as a matter of urgency."