Mr Canavan, who was elected as an independent MSP in last week's Holyrood elections, said a "very senior member of the Labour Party" was writing to Chief Whip Ann Taylor requesting his re-admission to the party.

The Falkirk West MP defeated the official Labour candidate to win election to the Scottish Parliament after his own candidacy was rejected.

Mr Canavan, who said he was blocked because he refused to compromise on his left-wing views, was automatically expelled from the party when he decided to stand as an independent.

Senior party member "drafting letter" to Chief Whip Ann Taylor

He is due to stand down from his Westminster seat to concentrate on Scotland but has said he would like to return to Labour, the party he first won a seat with in the House of Commons in 1974.

Mr Canavan, 56, said: "I had a call from a very senior member of the Labour Party over the weekend indicating he would be writing to the Government Chief Whip Ann Taylor asking for me to be reinstated to the Parliamentary Labour Party."

Mr Canavan would not reveal the name of the senior Labour party member but said he expected he would make an announcement in the near future.

He added: "I would welcome being allowed back provided they were not expecting me to submit to blind obedience or to abandon any of the principles or policies on which I fought and won the election."

Mr Canavan differs with Labour over policies on tuition fees, jobs and the Private Finance Initiative.

He is now planning to speak to his local constituency party about the timing of his resignation as a Westminster MP.