'Blair blocked me' - Canavan

Dennis Canavan: "Cabal of control freaks"

Independent politician Dennis Canavan has said there was involvement "at the very top" of the Labour Party in the decision not to select him as a Scottish parliamentary candidate.

Mr Canavan has withdrawn his application to rejoin the party, sparking a Westminster by-election in his Falkirk West constituency.

He told a news conference that since deciding to try to return to Labour, he had had a discussion with a "senior figure" in the party.

I had previously thought ... that the people who were responsible for the selection system was a relatively small cabal of maybe less than a handful of control freaks

Dennis Canavan

In a letter to general secretary Margaret McDonagh, he said: "I have received additional information about the circumstances which led to my exclusion from the Labour Party's list of approved candidates for last year's election to the Scottish Parliament.

"As a result, I have no confidence in the present leadership of the Labour Party and I therefore no longer wish to pursue my application to re-join the party."

Mr Canavan told reporters that he wrote to the prime minister in July asking for a meeting. The request was not granted.

He went on: "I had previously thought ... that the people who were responsible for the selection system was a relatively small cabal of maybe less than a handful of control freaks.

'Personal apology'

"But this fresh evidence indicates there was involvement at the top too."

Mr Canavan was asked if he would reconsider again if Tony Blair were to offer a personal apology.

He replied that he believed this would be unlikely and even if it did happen, he doubted whether Mr Blair would be sincere.

Jim Lapsley, his election agent, said: "This has to do with the hierarchy in the party, it came from high up.

Ian Davidson: "Out of the blue"

"Two years ago he was not selected for the panel, since then no-one has come out and said we made a mistake - this has not happened."

Glasgow Pollock MP Ian Davidson said Mr Canavan's withdrawal had "come out of the blue".

"A lot of people have been pressing for Dennis to be re-admitted because they see that a wrong was done to him," he said.

"There is a lot of speculation among MPs down here as to what the reasons could be - maybe Dennis found out that there was more of a systematic approach by new Labour to purge dissidents from the ranks.

"Those selection panels were evidence of the worst sectarian days of new Labour to get rid of people from the party who did not fit the mould."

Largest majority

Mr Canavan was expelled from the party when he stood for the Scottish Parliament as an independent after failing to win selection as Labour's Holyrood candidate in Falkirk West.

His 12,000 majority is the largest in the parliament.

He left Labour facing the prospect of an unwanted by-election when he said in October that he would announce his resignation from Westminster at the earliest opportunity.

But two weeks ago he made his first about-turn when he announced he was bidding to rejoin the party. At that point he described reconciliation as a "distinct possibility".

He also withdrew his threat to resign from Westminster.

Holyrood sources are speculating that Mr Canavan disliked the impression that he was siding with the establishment by seeking a deal with Labour.

He has begun the process by which he can resign as an MP.