Dennis Canavan

Dennis Canavan (born 1942) is a Scottish politician, and an indepedent member of the Scottish Parliament.

He had been a Labour member of the Westminster Parliament, for Falkirk West. In 1999, when elections for the first devolved Parliament were held, he was rejected as an official Labour candidate, and instead stood as an independent, and won. He was consequently expelled from the party. He resigned his Westminster seat in 2000, having served in Parliament since 1974 - first as member for West Stirlingshire until 1983. The by-election was won by Eric Joyce.