SOCIAL work bosses refused to give Tommy Sheridan a job because of the “unacceptable level of risk” his perjury conviction posed to a council, a court has heard.
Lawyer Mike Dailly told judge Lord Young on Friday how the former politician was told this in a letter sent to him by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership staff.
The Court of Session heard that Sheridan had applied to become a criminal justice social worker with the Glasgow City Council initiative.
In his application, he disclosed to his prospective employers he had been given a three year prison sentence in 2011 for perjury - a jury at the High Court in Glasgow concluded that he had lied on oath during his successful defamation action against the News of the World newspaper.
The court heard that social work bosses then sent him a letter in August 2024 telling him the conviction presented an “unacceptable level of risk” to Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership. More communications to Sheridan told him that future applications for jobs with the organisation would not be “progressed”.
This has prompted Sheridan to instruct lawyers to go to Scotland’s highest civil court in a bid to get Glasgow City Council to overturn its decision.
On Friday, Dailly told Lord Young that the council had acted unlawfully in its decision to permanently exclude Sheridan from social work jobs with the local authority.
He said that the body which regulates social work in Scotland - the Scottish Social Services Council - had assessed Sheridan as being a suitable candidate for working in the profession.
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.”
Dailly was speaking during a judicial review brought by Sheridan to the Court of Session. He 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 lawyer also wants the decision made by Glasgow City Council in relation to Sheridan’s job application to be overturned.
The former MSP posted online last summer about graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University after undertaking a two-year master's degree in social work. Sources say he has applied for jobs in the profession but is unable to secure a position.
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 where he was accused of being a swinger.
Since then he has remained involved in politics as a supporter of Scottish independence group Hope over Fear.,
Sheridan served as an MSP for Glasgow between 1999 and 2007.
He took the News of the World to court in 2006, alleging it defamed him after reporting he was an adulterer who visited swingers’ clubs.
He netted £200,000 but he was later convicted of lying in court during this civil action, and was sentenced to three years in jail.
He has attempted to appeal his conviction but judges have upheld it.
On social media last summer he revealed his future plans in response to a suggestion that he should stand again as an MSP in 2026.
He posted: "I just graduated as a professional social worker from Glasgow Caledonian University after a two-year masters degree so I am applying for jobs in that profession just now but who knows what will come to pass by 2026.”
On Friday, Sheridan turned up to the court to observe proceedings with his wife Gail and daughter Gabrielle.
They heard Glasgow City Council’s lawyer Paul Reid KC tell the court that Glasgow City Council acted lawfully and were legally entitled to refuse employment to Sheridan.
Speaking about the assessment made by the SSSC about Sheridan, he said: “It is a registration. It does not confer an entitlement to employment.
“Registration with the Law Society of Scotland does not confer an entitlement to employment as a solicitor - and registration with the General Medical Council doesn’t confer an entitlement to work as a doctor.”
Reid said the decision made by Glasgow City Council was an “employment decision” and couldn’t be challenged by judicial review.
Lord Young told the court that he wanted time to consider the legal issues which lawyers had highlighted. He said he’d issue his decision sometime in the near future.
He added: “Clearly, this is an important matter.”
