Rebel MP Dennis Canavan dealt a stinging blow to Tony Blair's "control freak" tendency with an overwhelming victory in the elections to the Scottish Parliament.

He beat the official Labour candidate by three votes to one to be elected as the first independent member of the parliament.

He immediately offered the hand of friendship to his old party, saying he was ready to be accepted back into the fold.

But he also made it plain he would not give up his independent habits.

And, while Labour leaders congratulated him on his victory, there was no chance he would be invited to rejoin the party.

He also confirmed that he was ready to spark what could be a difficult by-election for Labour in Falkirk West by standing down as an MP.

But he said he wanted to discuss the timing of his resignation with the local Labour party because he did not want them to be landed with a candidate imposed from London.

Full-time job

Expressing his bitterness at the way the national Labour Party handled his candidacy, he declared: "I made it clear that my view is that no-one can do both jobs. It's a full-time job being a member of the Scottish Parliament.

"I have also made it clear I would like to have discussions with the Labour Party at local level as distinct from the headquarters people who have treated the local Labour Party members with absolute disdain.

"I don't want them to be left in the lurch whereby another candidate is simply parachuted in by headquarters. I think we would then be back to square one."

Mr Canavan was thrown out of the Labour Party after announcing he would stand as an independent candidate when he failed to win the official nomination in the face of overwhelming local support.

It was claimed he had been ruled out because Labour bosses thought he was too troublesome and could not be trusted to toe the party line.

Control freak

The decision infuriated local party workers and led to widespread complaints about interference from party bosses into local decisions.

It was seen as one of the clearest examples of the New Labour control freak tendency which has seen "acceptable" candidates selected across the country.

In Wales, Tony Blair parachuted Alun Michael into the contest for local party leader after former leader Ron Davies resigned after a "moment of madness" on Clapham Common.

And Labour is also involved in a desperate campaign to find a candidate for London mayor and ensure left-winger Ken Livingstone is barred from standing.