In the red corner, Gail Sheridan, and in the other red corner, George Galloway

Published on Friday 14 January 2011 17:00

THEY stood shoulder to shoulder as comrades on countless campaigns from the miners' strike, to the poll tax, to the war in Iraq.

• Gail with husband Tommy after he was found gulity of perjury last month

But it emerged yesterday that George Galloway and Tommy Sheridan have fallen out over a woman.

Mr Galloway told The Scotsman he was now "rivals" with the Sheridans' Solidarity party, following the decision of Gail, the wife of the disgraced former MSP, to stand against him in this year's Scottish Parliament elections. The parties had discussed fielding a list of candidates under a joint banner.

The former Glasgow Kelvin MP said he felt "personally let down" by Mrs Sheridan's decision to compete with him for votes, as he prepares to launch his campaign to win one of the seven list seats in the city.

How they line-up

• Interview: George Galloway

• Gail Sheridan in pictures

He claimed Sheridan had asked him a "couple of days ago" to allow Gail to stand on the same left-wing slate for election to Holyrood as him.

Mr Galloway, who opposes Solidarity's support for Scottish independence, added: "Tommy put it to me a couple of days ago that Gail stand as No2 on the list. I expressed misgivings because of the independence questions and the Solidarity position on the spectrum. They are the far left, and I'm not.

"I was also concerned about the danger of this turning into a referendum on Tommy."

He was "surprised and disappointed" to learn of Mrs Sheridan's plans to stand as a Solidarity candidate in May.

Mr Galloway said his last contact with Sheridan had been when the former MSP texted him, saying "let's talk" about a possible electoral pact between Respect and Solidarity.

Solidarity was formed following Tommy Sheridan's departure from the Scottish Socialist Party in 2006. National secretary Graeme McIver said no formal decision had been taken on Holyrood candidates, but he added there appeared to be substantial support among some sections of the party for Mrs Sheridan to stand.

He said: "Over the coming days and weeks our branches, regions and national committees will convene to discuss our approach to the Holyrood elections."

Left credentials

• George Galloway profile

• Gail Sheridan profile

• Sheridan's solidarity

• Galloway's respect

It is understood Mrs Sheridan will top Solidarity's list of prospective Glasgow MSPs.

A source close to the Solidarity leadership said they had been in talks with Mr Galloway, but the ex-MP "panicked" in the aftermath of Sheridan's perjury conviction last month and insisted on personally picking the candidates on any joint list between Solidarity and Respect.Mr Galloway "refused to be on any list with Gail", the source said, fearing it could harm his chances of becoming an MSP.

Mr Galloway, who was expelled from the Labour Party over his opposition to the Iraq war in 2003, said the claim was irrelevant as Respect and Solidarity "are now rivals in this May's election".

Glasgow voters will have a third left-wing option. The Scottish Socialist Party also plans to put forward a slate of candidates, leading to speculation the socialist vote could be fragmented.

Mr Galloway, who was defeated at general election, said his Holyrood campaign would not be affected by the rift with Sheridan's party, as he said Solidarity was making a pitch to the "far left" while he wanted to attract support from Labour voters and disaffected Lib Dems.

The Respect politician also said he would not have stood in the Holyrood elections if Sheridan had not been found guilty of perjury The former MSP is facing a jail term when he is sentenced on 26 January.