Huge storms had wracked Scotland in the early summer, with local leaders struggling to cope
“After last weekend's biblical deluge in Scotland comes the political storms. Following a week when floods filled an Edinburgh underpass with water, the forecast for Scottish separatism is as gloomy as the weather with disappointing local election results. Senior SNP and RISE officials are despondent when you speak to them about the durability of the "non aggression pact" between the two parties. Both parties have cooperated to form administrations in all 4 Scottish provinces and have agreed not to criticise each other in public. Despite this, the two parties are engaged in a nasty form of shadow boxing. The other parties jibe that the separatists can't even bear being in the same room as each other.” - It's showdown time in Scotland, Paul Kelbie, The Observer (2008)
Scottish politics remained in deadlock after the local elections. It’s two main separatist parties, the SNP and RISE were known as the “world’s worst frenemies”, whilst they often clashed in elections the two parties cooperated in every Scottish Provincial Parliament, trying to put on a united front. Whilst the SNP was slightly larger they often found themselves stalemated during electoral competitions, with neither side gaining a clear upper hand in terms of seats. In fact, both parties had declined slightly in the local elections, mostly attributed to Britain’s growing prosperity and a better organised unionist community under the Reform Party.
RISE especially was a strange case, straddling democratic socialist politicians all the way to hardcore former SNLA fighters. Their leader, Tommy Sheridan was often crass, refusing to condemn the acts of SNLA dissidents and increasingly taking the party in a radical direction. Unfortunately for Tommy, the Security Services’ targeting of left-wing politicians didn’t stop south of the border. He found this out the hard way when armed police stormed into his Glasgow flat at three in the morning. Tommy Sheridan became the first politician of the transition age to be arrested, on charges of collaborating with SNLA dissidents. Papers presented by the security services showed correspondence with SNLA commanders including figurehead Matt Lygate and even a picture of Sheridan meeting with armed masked men.
The tabloids described Sheridan as "inspecting the troops"
COCTI alleged Sheridan had been using his position as a parliamentarian to shuttle secure briefings and even public funds towards dissident separatist groups. Sheridan’s arrest and subsequent trial threw RISE into catastrophe, with two camps emerging in the party. One camp, led by figures such as Alex Neil and Elaine Smith, said the party needed to cut Sheridan loose, move as far away from him as possible, afraid the whole party could be banned under anti-terror legislation. Sheridan’s allies like Rosemary Byrne said Sherridan was facing political persecution, comparing him to Nelson Mandela, they called for the party to take a strong line defending Sheridan, even at the risk of being banned.
“At an inspiring rally in Glasgow on 7 June, 3000 people pledged their support for Tommy Sheridan. Sheridan faces terrorism charges and allegations he has met with SNLA dissidents. The Security Services have spent nearly a million euros of public money accusing Tommy of terrorism. After messages of support from socialists and trade unionists, RISE MP Janice Godrich, gave unconditional support. She described her shock at some of Tommy's parliamentary comrades refusing to support the party leader. Godrich proclaimed "They had a choice, and sided against the movement. It's a sordid story of disgrace and dishonour, they are class traitors." Another RISE MP, Jim Walls, former convener of opencast coal miners in Ayrshire, said that Tommy had his full support.” - Stirring rally backs Tommy Sheridan, Jim McFarlane, The Socialist (2008)
Sheridan had a loyal base of support in the separatist community
Many were suspicious of Sheridan’s arrest, even those in the SDP establishment. Home Secretary Charlie Falconer had seen his SDP comrades persecuted by the security services, and understood how fragile the peace process in Scotland was. Upon hearing of Sheridan’s arrest he had reportedly called COCTI Director Jonathan Evans demanding to know if he wanted “another fucking war”. But counter-terror officials knew how sensitive a target Sheridan was, presenting a water-tight case. This included secret recordings taken from Sheridan’s flat and car, evidence that could have only been collected by bugging. The Security Services didn’t even deny they had bugged Sheridan, calling it a “national security necessity”. Underhanded though their tactics were, the evidence was hard to refute.
As Sheridan’s trial mounted on and more evidence was presented in court, an emergency meeting of RISE's Executive Council was held. Neil and his moderate allies had a very slim majority on the Council and Sheridan was expelled from RISE, with Neil appointed as acting leader. A few days later Sheridan would be found guilty, sentenced to ten years in prison. Riots would break out in separatist areas of Scotland, and there were bitter divisions in Scotland’s separatist movements, Sheridan’s allies were outraged that neither the SDP, SA or RISE had done anything to prevent Sheridan going under. In what was probably poor taste Byrne recited “First they came” by Martin Niemoller in her resignation speech, three other RISE MPs left the party alongside Byrne, followed by dozens of provincial legislators.
Now Alex Neil had to pick up the pieces of his broken party, RISE hadn’t been banned, so he had succeeded in his first goal, now he had to stem the bleeding of members, modernise the party and turn it back into a fighting force by the election next year. Stopping members from leaving wasn’t only a political goal but a moral one. Whilst some RISE members were defecting to Byrne’s new “Workers Party of Scotland” just as many were making their way to the safe-houses of the SNLA dissidents. As one academic put it, Sheridan's arrest was “the greatest SNLA recruiting sergeant since the fall of the Junta ''. RISE had an important place in Britain's political peace process, if Scotland’s radicals lost faith in RISE, and by extension electoral democracy, many could return to violence.
“Between 2005 and 2009 the Scottish media was full of stories of ‘incidents’ that added to the growing mistrust between the parties. The publication of five reports from the Simpson Inquiry into possible collusion between the Civil Guard in Scotland in the murders of five civil rights activists in 2006 and the arrest of Tommy Sheridan in 2008 conspired against any possible thaw in relations between the various political positions. Public Administrations Secretary, Susan Kramer, told the Scottish Select Committee that trust remained key to the political process. Instilling this trust among political representatives remained a difficult job. After the general election results in 2005 National Leader, Tim Collins, insisted that National provincial legislators would not serve alongside separatists in any regional government.” - The Role of Trust in Transition Scotland's Political Institutions and Actors, Lecture by Gery Hassan, University of Dundee (2013)
The SNP had to decide whether to keep the non-aggression pact, or go for the kill whilst RISE was weak
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