Rosemary Byrne
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Byrne is a Scottish political figure. She was a co-convenor of Solidarity (Scotland)
and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament
(MSP) for the South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
. She was elected as a representative of the Scottish Socialist Party
in 2003, but lost her seat in the 2007 election
after she and Tommy Sheridan
left the Scottish Socialist Party
(SSP) to form Solidarity (Scotland)
.
Byrne lives in Irvine
, and was a teacher and a trade union activist for several years. At one time she was president of Irvine Trades Council.
.
At the time of the 2003 election she was arguably the least prominent of the SSP's six MSPs, and she was the only one of the six who was not already a member of the SSP executive. She was elected to the executive in early 2004, and at the February 2005 conference of she was elected as one of the SSP's co-chairs. However she did not stand for re-election to this post or the executive committee at its conference in March 2006, stating that she was standing down for personal reasons.
and the British tabloid newspaper The News Of The World, Sheridan v News International
. Following this, Sheridan and Byrne split from the SSP, and formed a new socialist party which they named Solidarity
.
During the trial, in which Sheridan sued the News of the World for defamation and won, Byrne gave evidence supporting Sheridan. On 1 October 2006 the News of the World published fresh evidence which it claimed proved that their allegations were true and Sheridan had thus lied to the Court of Session during the trial. Sheridan was subsequently charged with and eventually found guilty of perjury.
Both Byrne and Sheridan are accused by the IWW
of betraying workers by unilaterally removing funding from the collective body which employed parliamentary staff.
On 15 February 2008, Byrne was arrested on suspicion of perjury in relation to the Sheridan defamation trial
. However the Crown Office said that the matter would not be taken further at the conclusion of the subsequent criminal trial
.
In December 2009 she disclosed she was suffering from breast cancer
.
Solidarity (Scotland)
Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action...
and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
(MSP) for the South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
South of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
. She was elected as a representative of the Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing Scottish political party. Positioning itself significantly to the left of Scotland's centre-left parties, the SSP campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence....
in 2003, but lost her seat in the 2007 election
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
after she and Tommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan is a Scottish socialist politician. He has had various prominent roles within the socialist movement in Scotland and is currently one of two co-convenors of the left-wing Scottish political party Solidarity....
left the Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing Scottish political party. Positioning itself significantly to the left of Scotland's centre-left parties, the SSP campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence....
(SSP) to form Solidarity (Scotland)
Solidarity (Scotland)
Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action...
.
Byrne lives in Irvine
Irvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
, and was a teacher and a trade union activist for several years. At one time she was president of Irvine Trades Council.
Scottish Parliament
In 2003 she was elected to the Scottish Parliament, and scored the SSP's best constituency vote outside Glasgow in Cunninghame SouthCunninghame South (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Cunninghame South is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one MSP by the first past the post method of election once every four years. Currently, the constituency comprises of the towns of Irvine, Kilwinning and Stevenston, located within the North Ayrshire council area in...
.
At the time of the 2003 election she was arguably the least prominent of the SSP's six MSPs, and she was the only one of the six who was not already a member of the SSP executive. She was elected to the executive in early 2004, and at the February 2005 conference of she was elected as one of the SSP's co-chairs. However she did not stand for re-election to this post or the executive committee at its conference in March 2006, stating that she was standing down for personal reasons.
Sheridan v News International
There was a controversial defamation case in 2006 between fellow SSP MSP Tommy SheridanTommy Sheridan
Tommy Sheridan is a Scottish socialist politician. He has had various prominent roles within the socialist movement in Scotland and is currently one of two co-convenors of the left-wing Scottish political party Solidarity....
and the British tabloid newspaper The News Of The World, Sheridan v News International
Sheridan v News International
Sheridan v News Group Newspapers is a civil court case brought by Tommy Sheridan against the publishers of the News of the World, which began in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4 July 2006...
. Following this, Sheridan and Byrne split from the SSP, and formed a new socialist party which they named Solidarity
Solidarity (Scotland)
Solidarity is a political party in Scotland, launched on September 3, 2006 as a breakaway from the Scottish Socialist Party in the aftermath of Tommy Sheridan's libel action...
.
During the trial, in which Sheridan sued the News of the World for defamation and won, Byrne gave evidence supporting Sheridan. On 1 October 2006 the News of the World published fresh evidence which it claimed proved that their allegations were true and Sheridan had thus lied to the Court of Session during the trial. Sheridan was subsequently charged with and eventually found guilty of perjury.
Both Byrne and Sheridan are accused by the IWW
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
of betraying workers by unilaterally removing funding from the collective body which employed parliamentary staff.
On 15 February 2008, Byrne was arrested on suspicion of perjury in relation to the Sheridan defamation trial
Sheridan v News International
Sheridan v News Group Newspapers is a civil court case brought by Tommy Sheridan against the publishers of the News of the World, which began in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 4 July 2006...
. However the Crown Office said that the matter would not be taken further at the conclusion of the subsequent criminal trial
HM Advocate v Sheridan and Sheridan
Her Majesty's Advocate v Thomas Sheridan and Gail Sheridan was the 2010 criminal prosecution of Tommy Sheridan, a former Member of the Scottish Parliament and his wife Gail Sheridan for perjury in relation to the earlier civil case Sheridan v News Group Newspapers.In Scotland criminal prosecutions...
.
In December 2009 she disclosed she was suffering from breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
.