Jim Sheridan (politician)

James Sheridan (24 November 1952 – 23 September 2022) was a British Labour Party politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, formerly Renfrewshire West, from 2001 to 2015.

Jim Sheridan
Sheridan as an MP
Member of Parliament
for Paisley and Renfrewshire North
Renfrewshire West (2001–2005)
In office
7 June 2001 – 30 March 2015
Preceded byThomas Graham
Succeeded byGavin Newlands
Personal details
Born(1952-11-24)24 November 1952
Glasgow, Scotland
Died23 September 2022(2022-09-23) (aged 69)
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
SpouseJean Sheridan
Children2

Early life

Sheridan was born in Glasgow and attended St Sixtus Primary School and St Pius Secondary School in Drumchapel (now the location of Drumchapel High School). Before entering politics he worked in shipyards from 1970 to 1978, then as a printer for the Paisley Daily Express from 1978 to 1984, then for Thales Optronics (formerly Barr and Stroud before 2001) in Glasgow, where he was a trade union convenor for the TGWU from 1984 to 2000.[1] He also served on Renfrewshire Council from 1999 representing Erskine Central.

Parliamentary career

He was previously MP for Renfrewshire West from the 2001 election until the constituency was abolished in 2005. Sheridan was the promoter of the Bill which led to the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004.[2]

Following the 2005 election, he was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. He resigned this post on 9 August 2006 in protest at the Government's policy on the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, particularly the permitting of aircraft carrying US weapons for Israel to refuel in the UK.[3][4] He was a strong supporter of Speaker of the House Michael Martin, at the time of the second-home expenses scandal, for instance stating that Martin did not know about the expenses claims of MPs on Radio 4's Today programme (18 May 2009).

In November 2008, Sheridan tabled a Commons early day motion backing a Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics, saying football "should not be any different from other competing sports and our young talent should be allowed to show their skills on the world stage".[5] The football governing bodies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all opposed to a Great Britain team, fearing it would stop them competing as individual nations in future tournaments.

In February 2013, Sheridan voted against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, opposing the legalisation of same-sex marriage within England and Wales.[6] The MP subsequently declined to vote during the bill’s third and final reading.[7]

The Daily Telegraph reported in 2009 that the Labour MP claimed a 42-inch plasma TV costing £699.99, a leather bed, and thousands of pounds worth of other furniture through his parliamentary allowances.[8] He defended his expenses as "authorised by the Fees Office and receipts were provided against all claims."[9]

He was one of 16 signatories of an open letter to Ed Miliband in January 2015 calling on the party to commit to oppose further austerity, take rail franchises back into public ownership and strengthen collective bargaining arrangements.[10]

Post-parliamentary career

In May 2017, Sheridan was elected as a councillor for a second time, representing the Labour Party for Houston, Crosslee and Linwood ward on Renfrewshire Council.

On 18 August 2018, he was suspended from the Labour Party on a charge of antisemitism, after posting the following on Facebook: "For almost all my adult life I have had the utmost respect and empathy for the Jewish community and their historic suffering. No longer due to what they and their Blairite plotters are doing to my party and the long suffering people of Britain who need a radical Labour government."[11] He was reinstated in February 2019 but received a reminder of party conduct. He commented: "I remain of the view that my accusers were misguided and overreacted to what was intended to highlight my personal frustration and criticism of those intent on undermining our leadership in Scotland and the UK. I would also like to reiterate my sincere apologies to the Jewish community whose historic struggle I have supported all my political life.”[12]

In June 2019, Sheridan was made deputy leader of Renfrewshire Council's Labour group.[13] He endorsed Monica Lennon in the 2021 Scottish Labour leadership election.[14]

Personal life and death

Sheridan lived in Erskine, Renfrewshire, with his wife Jean. They had a son and daughter.[1]

Sheridan died following "a period of illness" on 23 September 2022, at the age of 69.[15]

References
  1. Rennie, Alison (6 May 2015). "Jim Sheridan: 'I'm old school and proud of it.'". Daily Record. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  2. Tempest, Matthew; Nicholls, Martin (27 February 2004). "Gangmasters bill gets government backing". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  3. BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | MP resigns post over Middle East
  4. Archived 8 May 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "UK OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TEAM - Early Day Motions". edm.parliament.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  6. "MP-by-MP: Gay marriage vote". BBC News. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  7. "The Public Whip — Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill — Third Reading - 21 May 2013 at 18:59". www.publicwhip.org.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  8. Jim Sheridan claimed for plasma TV and leather bed - Telegraph
  9. Flashback: how the Telegraph revealed Jim Sheridan's expenses - Telegraph
  10. Eaton, George (26 January 2015). "The Labour left demand a change of direction – why their intervention matters". New Statesman. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  11. "Labour suspends councillor Jim Sheridan after anti-Semitism rant". Sky News. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  12. Grierson, Jamie (26 January 2019). "Former Labour MP reinstated after antisemitism row calls accusers 'misguided'". Guardian. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  13. "Cleared Jim Sheridan takes up Labour depute leader role". The Gazette. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  14. "Scottish Leadership Election 2021 - Nominations". Scottish Labour. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  15. Howie, Emylie (23 September 2022). "Former Renfrewshire councillor sadly passes away following period of illness". Daily Record. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
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