Let the People Decide: The Autobiography of Dennis Canavan

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In taking forward the recommendation, there are of course some matters to work through, not least the details of the pardons scheme – such as the qualifying criteria. In so doing, the Scottish Government should not be seen as casting any doubt on decisions made by the judiciary at the time, or as seeking to place blame on any individual or group of individuals. Never miss the latest top headlines from the Scottish Daily Express. Sign up to our daily newsletter here . Read More Related Articles

No lurid detail was spared from the collective public guffaw. As the Labour MP Brian Wilson remarked, Tory MPs were resigning by the week to spend more time with other people’s families. He chaired the Northern Ireland Committee of the Parliamentary Labour Party from 1989 to 1997, and led several parliamentary delegations to Ireland during The Troubles. He served on the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body from 1992 to 2000. As a member of the European and External Relations Committee of the Scottish Parliament, he was author of a report on the potential for co-operation between Scotland and Ireland. He has frequently spoken out against sectarianism and racism. Mr Roddie’s planning consultants argued the enforcement notice should have been shelved given he had finally submitted the retrospective planning application, citing “regrettable oversight” for not having done so previously. His oldest son, Mark, died in Australia at the age of 41 in March 2007, after a three-year battle with motor neurone disease. There was some behind-the-scenes friction with other ministers over some of the clauses in the Bill, but Dewar, with skill and persistence, managed to get what he wanted.

Provost's Award

Dennis Canavan said he believed in the “sanctity of human life” and warned no one has the right to classify some people as “less valuable” than others. He wants to make assisted dying a choice for adults who are both terminally ill and mentally ­competent and insists there are safeguards built into his proposed Assisted Dying Scotland Bill. His beliefs were classically social democratic with a value system rooted in equality, social justice and redistribution of wealth. To that should be added values from the Liberal tradition of personal freedom and constitutional change. We need to reach out to win the hearts and minds of the unconverted. At present, many of the important decisions affecting the people of Scotland are taken by a UK Government, led by an incompetent buffoon who was resoundingly rejected by the people of Scotland.

Although more than three decades have passed since the main miners’ dispute, the scars from the experiences still run deep. The report indicates that in some areas of the country, the sense of having been hurt and wronged remains corrosive and alienating. This was true for many who were caught up directly in the dispute – and also for their families and the wider communities to this very day. He is a strong supporter of the idea of a national holiday to celebrate St Andrew's Day, and his bill to achieve this was eventually passed as the St. Andrew's Day Bank Holiday (Scotland) Act 2007.His second son Dennis died from a brain tumour in December 2006 at the age of 35, while third son Paul died from skin cancer aged 16 in 1989.