SSP MUST RE-FOCUS THEIR ENERGIES ONTO INDEPENDENCE

I have followed the Tommy Sheridan trial with interest and I warmly congratulate him on his victory against the lowest and sleaziest 'newspaper' in Britain.

It is instructive that Douglas Wight has recently been promoted to a features desk in London after his 'useful' stories about Sheridan. I understand he has also been given time off his work recently to write a book. A substantial series of bonuses, but then again Mr Sheridan is a substantial target.

Tommy Sheridan was one of the first people to help organise the Scottish Independence Convention. He was one of the first supporters of Independence First, the referendum campaign. There is no doubt whatsoever that he is a strong and passionate advocate for the Scottish independence cause.

The News of the World offered no proof for it's story, it merely tried to throw so much muck that they hoped that maybe some of it would stick. A jury has provided this rag with it's answer and hopefully it won't be as cavalier with the facts next time someone approaches them with an 'exclusive story' and their hand out for £20,000.

Some of Sheridan's accusers are also strong advocates for independence, and some of his backers, specifically the CWI and SWP are not. Nonetheless I understand that Mr Sheridan has had to take support where he can find it during a very difficult time.

Independence is the lynch pin around which Scottish politics currently revolves. The SSP is a pro-independence party but since Sheridan's term as leader has ended, they have been less active on this question than they should be.

It's important that whoever the SSP elect as their leader in October that they make sure independence remains firmly at the top of their political priorities.

Sheridan and McCombes excellent book 'Imagine' showed that the SSP had a genuine vision which set it apart from the rest, a realistic democratic vision of socialism which is a world removed from the revolutionary hogwash perpretated by some of the more deluded groups on the traditional 'Brit' left.

As a republican socialist I call on Alan McCombes and Tommy Sheridan in particular and the rest of the SSP to put aside their differences and work together to push independence at the next elections.

The SNP can't win independence on it's own, however with the help of the Greens and a resurgent SSP the Scottish parties might yet get a combined one million votes for independence, enough to defeat Labour and the Tories and enough to push through a democratic vote for freedom for Scotland.

Scotland needs a win for independence next year.

Tommy and Alan and the rest, please don't let the people down by squabbling amongst yourselves over irrelevant rubbish about 'he said, she said'. It's all nonsense based on a right wing paper's lies.

The Scottish Socialist Party needs to move on and grow up before it's too late.