McIver backs Sheridan's new party and urges Borderers to follow suit ANDREW KEDDIE THE vicious infighting in the ranks of the Scottish Socialist Party, highlighted and accelerated by the Tommy Sheridan court case, has left Borderers with left wing sympathies feeling "utterly bewildered".

On Sunday, he turned his back on that organisation – and the full-time job he has held for more than four years – by publicly defecting to join Mr Sheridan's breakaway Solidarity Party.

"It was, without doubt, the hardest decision of my life," said the 38-year-old father of four from Galashiels after the official launch at Glasgow's Central Station Hotel on Sunday.

He told TheSouthern: "Socialists in the Borders have been relatively immune from bitterness and division which have been such features of the SSP in recent months and it has left them utterly bewildered.

"I, like them, want to be fighting for the low paid of our region and against Tony Blair and the illegal war in Iraq rather than fighting among ourselves."

Although there are just 60 card-carrying SSP members across its two Borders branches of Tweeddale and Central, Mr McIver polled more than 400 votes when he challenged for the Roxburgh and Berwickshire seat in Holyrood in May, 2003. On the same day, he received 243 votes in a closely-fought Scottish Borders Council contest for the Netherdale ward.

"It is my earnest hope that the new party will be more inclusive and, although it will not happen overnight, it will broaden its appeal to many more voters, especially in the Borders," said the former Viasystems shop steward. Mr McIver hit the headlines during Mr Sheridan's defamation case against The News of the World, by attesting that the former party convener did not, at an SSP executive meeting, admit visiting a swingers club in Manchester.

It was evidence at odds with that of many others, including Mr Sheridan's successor Colin Fox, who had also attended the fateful meeting, but it was ultimately accepted by the jury which found against the newspaper and awarded Mr Sheridan damages of £200,000.

Mr McIver admitted this week that his position within the SSP became untenable after the court case, although he has steadfastly refused to criticise those SSP MSPs and highranking officials with whom his evidence was at variance.

"Let's just say I think a lot of people were mistaken about what was said at the meeting," said Mr McIver. "I have not called anyone a scab or a traitor because that is not how I see them. Indeed, I have nothing but respect and admiration for Mr Fox and hope to retain his friendship."

He revealed that he and another former regional organiser with the SSP had been offered short-term paid employment by the new party until its inaugural conference in November.

"A huge amount of organisation is required if we are to make any sort of impact at the Scottish Parliament and local government elections in May, as well as getting our message across to the general public."

Mr McIver's decision appears to have scuppered any chance of his election as an MSP next year. He had been placed second on the SSP 'list' for the South of Scotland, behind another Solidarity defector Rosemary Byrne MSP.

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