Tommy Sheridan yesterday launched his breakaway political party with an admission that its first big achievement could be to split the far-left vote in Scotland.
Mr Sheridan has formed his Solidarity party after an acrimonious falling out with his former comrades in the Scottish Socialist Party after his successful £200,000 defamation action against the News of the World.
He also conceded that his party and the SSP would be campaigning against each other on the same platform of wanting an independent, socialist Scotland.
The launch was attended by about 300 Sheridan supporters — about the same number who turned up at a “spoiler” rally held on Saturday by the SSP.
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Both meetings were held in the same room of the Central Hotel, Glagow within 24 hours of each other and some activists attended both meetings.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Sheridan said: “It is possible that we will end up cutting each other’s throats and splitting the vote, but the SSP is no longer able to unite the far Left.”