TOMMY Sheridan has suffered another blow in his bid to have his perjury conviction quashed after the country's miscarriages of justice body declined to refer his case to the High Court.

The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission has issued an interim 'statement of reasons' in the Sheridan case - meaning no High Court referral - but the former MSP has time to provide more information to support his application.

Sheridan, who used to lead the Scottish Socialist Party and was a two-term Glasgow MSP, has been mired in legal battles for over a decade about allegations surrounding his sex life.

In 2006, he sued the owners of the now-defunct News of the World over claims he was a swinger who had cheated on his wife.

In representing himself, Sheridan cross-examined his accusers, including Katrine Trolle, a woman he allegedly had sex with.

He won the case and was awarded £200,000 in damages, but conflicting evidence resulted in an investigation by Lothian and Borders Police.

He was charged with perjury and, after a 12 week trial, was found guilty by a jury of telling lies in the earlier defamation case.

In particular, he was found to have given perjured evidence over his attendance at the Cupids sex club in Manchester, as well as over his denial that he had confessed to colleagues about the visits.

Since being jailed in 2011, Sheridan has professed his innocence and tried to clear his name.

His first attempt at getting an appeal, based on the claim that he did not receive a fair trial in the perjury case, was rejected by judges as "unarguable".

Sheridan last year applied to the SCCRC for a review of his conviction.

He said he was presenting a "dossier which we are very, very confident is going to lead eventually to the quashing of my criminal conviction for perjury in 2010".

He added that the information would "expose" individuals who were involved in a "criminal conspiracy to conceal evidence" during his perjury trial.

Following its investigation, the SCCRC had two options: either refer the case to the High Court; or decide against a referral and issue an explanation in the form of an interim statement of reasons.

A spokesman for the SCCRC told this newspaper that an interim judgement had been sent out in the Sheridan case.

The former MSP can now submit further representations to the Commission, after which the SCCRC would make a final decision on a High Court referral.

Since pursuing legal action against the News of the World, Sheridan's political career has nosedived.

He lost his seat in 2007, appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, and is now studying for a law degree.

The referendum allowed him to make a mini-comeback, but younger figures on the left in Scotland believe he is a tarnished figure who should get off the political stage.

In an interview last week, senior Radical Independence Campaign activist Cat Boyd said of Sheridan:

"Tommy's time needs to be over now. People were very very hurt by what he did....You can't have a united Left with someone so divisive involved."

Colin Fox, the SSP co-convener, said: "I think the SCCRC appears to be suggesting what the whole world knows: Tommy Sheridan is a liar. He remains the Lance Armstrong of Scottish politics."

Gordon Dangerfield, who is Sheridan's solicitor, said: "The Commission's rules state there should be no comment on ongoing applications. My client's application for review is ongoing."