Jim Sheridan

James Sheridan (24 November 1952 – 23 September 2022) was a British Labour Party politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, formerly Renfrewshire West, from 2001 to 2015. Early life Sheridan was born in Glasgow and attended St Sixtus Primary School and St Pius Secondary School in Drumchapel (now the location of Drumchapel High School). Before entering politics he worked in shipyards from 1970 to 1978, then as a printer for the Paisley Daily Express from 1978 to 1984, then for Thales Optronics (formerly Barr and Stroud before 2001) in Glasgow, where he was a trade union convenor for the TGWU from 1984 to 2000. He also served on Renfrewshire Council from 1999 representing Erskine Central. Parliamentary career He was previously MP for Renfrewshire West from the 2001 election until the constituency was abolished in 2005. Sheridan was the promoter of the Bill which led to the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004. Following the 2005 election, he was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. He resigned this post on 9 August 2006 in protest at the Government's policy on the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, particularly the permitting of aircraft carrying US weapons for Israel to refuel in the UK. He was a strong supporter of Speaker of the House Michael Martin, at the time of the second-home expenses scandal, for instance stating that Martin did not know about the expenses claims of MPs on Radio 4's Today programme (18 May 2009).