After the collapse of the Coulson case last week we were inundated with messages of utter disbelief by people who just couldn't get to grips with the decision.

Our phones, and Tommy's Facebook and Twitter pages have been full of comments about the debacle which occurred at the High Court in Edinburgh. Some have said cynically 'what did you expect was going to happen, after all he was the Prime Minister's Director of Communications?'

In a previous column, I mentioned the honour of meeting and chaperoning the wonderful Muhammed Ali, when he travelled to Glasgow to promote his book many years ago. I was reminded of one of his many sayings last Wednesday, "it's not the number of times that you are knocked down in life that counts, it's the number of times you get back up again."

When we heard the news that Andy Coulson had walked away from the perjury trial without it ever reaching the jury room, I have got to admit Tommy and I felt a wee bit down, but that life philosophy from Ali ran through my head.

Despite over three years in preparation and spending millions of pounds, the Crown Office failed to present evidence relating to the relevance of Coulson's evidence to Tommy's trial in 2010.

The judge at Tommy's trial ruled that all evidence relating to illegal phone hacking and the use of private investigators and the 'black arts' was entirely "competent and relevant" evidence as it was at the heart of Tommy's defence. He issued a detailed ruling on the relevancy of such evidence during Tommy's examination of Bob Bird, the former Scottish editor of the now defunct Scottish News of the World. This was in response to the Crown suggesting Tommy's line of questioning was irrelevant to the case. The judge ruled clearly that it was relevant evidence.

When Coulson was being questioned by Tommy in 2010 the Crown raised no objection to the line of questioning because relevancy had already been decided.

Surely that Judge's ruling on relevancy should have been available to the presiding judge last week?

It defies logic that the Crown Office did not supply him with the most persuasive argument available, namely the ruling of the presiding judge, Lord Bracadale, at Tommy's trial.

At Tommy's trial Mr Coulson swore on oath that he knew nothing about phone hacking, private investigator Glenn Mulcaire or corrupt payments to police officers until after Mr Mulcaire and Mr Goodman, the royal editor, were jailed for phone hacking in 2006. But three former senior journalists at Mr Coulson's trial, including Mr Goodman, swore that Mr Coulson had been aware of what the newspaper's staff were doing. Their testimonies sounded clear and devastating against Mr Coulson, though Coulson's counsel argued they lacked independent corroboration. Either way, the decision was removed from the jury. The case against Mr Coulson was dropped.

He was not cleared of lying, as suggested by many spin doctors, he was cleared of perjury because his evidence was deemed not relevant to the case against Tommy in 2010. What a blow to justice. But now it's time to move on. The blow has knocked us down but we are not staying down. We are back up on our feet and moving on.

Holyrood

When we travelled to over 100 meetings across the country last year I lost count of the number of people who kept asking if Tommy would be standing for election again.

His response always raised a smile, when he replied it would be "up to Gail". The truth is it will be my decision and to be honest I would be ecstatic if Tommy walked away from the political world all together. My selfishness knows no bounds. I want him to devote all his time and mind to Gabrielle and I and to hell with campaigns and constantly fighting injustice. Then I'm reminded by someone or other of how capable he is at standing up for ordinary folk and fighting their corner. He did it with distinction for 11 years on Glasgow City Council and eight years in Holyrood between 1999 and 2007.

I remember how he fought tooth and nail to abolish warrant sales. For free and healthy school meals. For a fairer alternative to the council tax. For publicly run and owned rail services. To ban the public sale of airguns.

Unfortunately for me and Gabrielle he is good at what he does. He fights against poverty and injustice and he does it well.

I've listened to many people who would love to see him back in Holyrood because of the above reasons and I have felt guilty at my reluctance to agree to his standing as a candidate for the Glasgow region next May. However I really was pretty adamant about it as many of our family and friends and members of Solidarity were aware.

Ironically, last week's performance in Edinburgh changed my mind and I have now agreed to Tommy getting stuck in again.

I figure the way to respond to the collpase of the Andy Coulson case last week in Edinburgh is to get right back up onto our feet. Not everyone agrees politically with Tommy but the facts are…he cannot be bought and is in no one's pocket. He is an expert in exposing inequality and the abuse of power without fear or favour. So I guess Andy Coulson is to blame for Tommy's challenge for Holyrood. Wouldn't that be ironic if he wins re-election next May.

Blood Call

It is blood donor week folks. I know I have mentioned it before but the call has went out for more blood. Supplies are dangerously low. You can genuinely save several lives with a donation of 40 minutes of your time and a pint of blood. Don't just think about it. Do it.