TommyWatch

On watching a clip of Tommy Sheridan's entrance into the Big Brother House (yes, readers, see how much I am willing to suffer for you), I'm struck by the booing. I thought that hardly anyone had heard of him (hence Davina's explanation of just who he is) so wouldn't be in a position to jeer. Maybe they just boo politicians by default. Maybe they were sent there by the SSP. Or the News of the World. Or MI5. Or, in Tommy's mind, no doubt, all three in a massive conspiracy. Though having said that, they seemed to have been booing everyone.

I'm also struck by Davina's inability to pronounce the word 'Convener'. So for the benefit of La McCall, and those listening to her, it's pronounced "con-VEE-ner", and not "CUH-vuh-ner". Note the extra N in the first syllable, and the stress on the second syllable rather than the first. It is not the word "coven", with an "-er" suffix on the end, but "convene" with the suffix. For those unfamiliar with the meaning, a Committee Convener is its Chairperson, while the Convener of a political party is, in effect, its Leader.

And as Tommy Sheridan is a Co-Convener, let me take a moment to remind everyone of Rosemary Byrne's existence. And, indeed, Solidarity's existence, which has received fewer first preference votes than the SSP across the Council By-Elections that took place last year, came behind the SSP in the two Westminster By-Elections (including eighth and last place in Glenrothes), and in 2007, lost its only Councillor when Ruth Black defected to Labour.

So you might think that this is a good way of getting easy publicity - reminding the world of Tommy Sheridan's existence on national television. But his perjury trial will do that. And publicity for Tommy isn't necessarily publicity for Solidarity. But then. this isn't about the advertising: the man himself has said that he's after the cash this will bring.

Trying to move cash from Channel 4's coffers to his own bank account. I'm not sure that's the conventional Socialist view of redistribution of wealth, but there you go.