Ex-MSP who testified against Sheridan warns schoolchildren about dangers of lying

A FORMER Socialist MSP who testified against convicted perjurer Tommy Sheridan has warned city schoolchildren about the perils of lying.

Colin Fox, who gave evidence against Sheridan - a former Scottish Socialist Party ally, said lies destroy reputations.

Speaking ahead of a visit to Fettes College, where he was invited to put the case for socialism, he said the truth is an "essential principle" in the fight for socialist change.

He said: "The truth is that socialist ideas are more necessary in today's world than ever before.

"Only by adopting an approach based on meeting the needs of people over the demand for profit can the social and ecological crisis we all face be overcome."

"To win that change it is essential that socialists win public confidence and that can only be done by telling the truth about the scale of challenge we face and what we see as the socialist answer to them."

"Recent history is sadly studded with examples of how telling lies destroys both those telling them and the case they want to make."

Mr Fox also criticised one of Fettes' most famous alumni, former prime minister Tony Blair, accusing him of lying in his case for the war in Iraq.

He said: "From Tony Blair's lies of Iraq to Tommy Sheridan's lies in the Court of Session, the impact on the reputation of the individuals involved and what they stand for is devastating."

Sheridan was jailed for three years last month at the High Court in Glasgow after being found guilty of lying during his defamation action against the News of the World.