Emma Cowing: Determined Gail is a force to reckon with

Published on Monday 31 January 2011 16:05

GAIL Sheridan's wardrobe has long been a source of mystery to me, as I'm sure it is for much of a fretting nation. Say what you like about her taste in men, but the woman knows how to wear a pair of sunglasses.

Indeed, over the past few years she has tripped gaily down the assorted court steps of Scotland in an ever-revolving wardrobe of designer dresses, shoes and accessories worthy of a Paris catwalk show.

And all on an air hostess's salary, too.

It should be noted, however, that the Gail who attended last year's court proceedings was a slightly more demure woman. Bright colours had been swapped for monochrome, the fake tan for a dusting of bronzer, while the sunglasses had been replaced by something more rose-tinted in hue.

Gail, of course, doesn't work as an air hostess anymore. In fact, she doesn't work at all. Since taking voluntary redundancy from BA early last year, she has dedicated herself full-time to the cause that is Tommy, or as so many of us prefer to call him, Prisoner 32057.

Get up close to Gail Sheridan these days, the rumour goes, and you can actually hear the strains of Tammy Wynette's Stand by Your Man emanating from somewhere deep inside that beating heart of hers.

The news last month then, shortly before her husband's sentencing, that she was to stand as an MSP for the Solidarity party in the forthcoming Holyrood elections was intriguing. Here was the chance for a woman who had publicly humiliated herself on a repeated basis for the sake of her husband to step out of the shadows; to reclaim a few shreds of dignity and prove that she was more than a well-dressed leaning post for Tommy Sheridan.

While she would undoubtedly have been trading on her husband's no-longer-good name, Sheridan was an experienced shop steward during her time at BA, and is a former activist in the SSP. A good orator who has been immersed in socialist politics her whole life, she would have been a controversial and interesting addition to Holyrood who, while not exactly moulded in the image of that other famous Tammy Wynette fan-turned-politician, Hillary Clinton, had she won might nevertheless have added a red tinge to the Scottish Parliament while striking a few blows for women hiding behind their husbands everywhere.

Then came more news. Sheridan was not standing after all. She was staying at home to care for her beautiful daughter. It was sadly, depressingly predictable.

I appreciate that it can't be easy being Gail Sheridan. The weekend brought yet another round of tawdry tales of Tommy's indiscretions, and every woman whose partner has cheated knows just how awful it feels when you realise that everyone knew but you. The temptation to hide must be immense.

Indeed, if she hadn't so wholeheartedly brought it on herself, I might even feel sorry for her. Gail did not have anything to do with her husband's infidelity, but she has repeatedly defended his actions. Forget lying under oath, it is lying to yourself - with every beat of your heart. If it is injustice and inequality that she's against, she should start no further than in her own home - the one she may now lose if, as expected, the News of the World chases the Sheridans for hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees.

All that, presumably, will make it even more difficult for her to care for her beautiful daughter.

This week, rumours have surfaced that Gail Sheridan may yet stand for a seat on Glasgow City Council. I hope she does. Scottish politics needs bright, mouthy women who aren't afraid to stand up for the things they love. If nothing else, she is a gold star pro at that.

There are many, I'm sure, who would rather the Sheridans crawled back under the red flag they came from. I, for one, would like to hear what Mrs Sheridan has to say when she's not defending her disgraceful husband.

In the meantime, I hope she's bought a bigger pair of sunglasses.