Galloway and Sheridan on the campaign trail

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Tartan terrors: Gorgeous borrows Tommy's soapbox
By Oliver Duff
Published: 11 April 2007, The Independent

Socialism, suntans, Scottishness, civil disobedience, smoking guns and a fondness for wealthy newspaper proprietors' smackeroonies: can it really be six years since George Galloway and Tommy Sheridan last teamed up?

In February 2001, the left-wing firebrands were arrested together, helping to blockade the Trident nuclear submarine base at Faslane, on Scotland's west coast. Now "Gorgeous" plans a return visit on 25 April, joining the Solidarity Party leader, Sheridan, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, on the campaign trail for the 3 May elections for the Scottish Parliament. They will speak in a mosque, a university and a concert hall ("give me an 'A', George...").

Galloway comments: "We shared a cell, so it's natural that we should share a platform. What I'm trying to do is bring national and international politics on to the stage rather than the politics of the Kailyard [of the parochial] which we've had thus far in Scotland."

Following the 2001 arrests, Galloway was fined £180 for breaching the peace; Sheridan acquitted. Galloway says that he had an epiphany that day, as he lay in the middle of the road on top of Sheridan, that the smelly donkey jacket of leftwing radical action had passed on to another generation - specifically when one of the police officers approaching them said: "Right, I'll take the auld yin."

Four police officers carried the limp Galloway to their van. I do hope that the pair will behave themselves this time.

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That's good to know they'll both be at Faslane - I'll be there myself with any luck. I do hope I don't get banned from flying to america as a result... haha