Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Tommy Sheridan 'asked colleague to lie about sex club visit'

Lucinda Cameron,Cordelia O'Neill
Tuesday 05 October 2010 19:00 EDT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The outspoken former leader of the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) asked a party colleague to lie for him after he admitted twice visiting a swingers' club, a court heard yesterday.

Tommy Sheridan also asked Alison Kane to "rattle some cages" to ensure that minutes of a party meeting in which he told colleagues he had been to Cupid's Club in Manchester "disappeared", it was alleged. Ms Kane was the second person to tell a perjury trial at the High Court in Glasgow that Mr Sheridan told an emergency meeting of the SSP's executive that he had visited the club with some "close friends".

Mr Sheridan, a former Member of the Scottish Parliament, and his wife Gail, both 46, are accused of lying under oath during Mr Sheridan's successful 2006 defamation action against the News of the World. The couple deny the allegations.

Ms Kane, a former SSP treasurer, told the court Mr Sheridan had "lost the plot" and was "fighting for his political life" after he made the admission to a meeting at the party headquarters in Glasgow on 9 November 2004.

She said he asked to meet her "four or five days" after the meeting and then asked her to lie about other members of the party and persuade remaining committee members to get rid of the minutes detailing his confession.

Ms Kane, 42, who has since left the SSP and now works as a part-time lecturer and accountant, said Mr Sheridan had been "one of my best friends", but their friendship ended after she told the party's executive what he had asked her to do.

The trial continues.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in