Mr Dennis Canavan This is Me

Education

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1. 1. News Releases - University of Strathclyde

   www.strath.ac.uk/press/newsrel - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/4/2008   Last Visited: 7/17/2008

   Dennis Canavan receives an honorary degree
   
   Dennis Canavan served as an MP and MSP in Central Scotland for more than 30 years until his retirement last year.As a former teacher, he has a long-standing interest in education and he was one of the most prominent voices in the campaign for a Scottish Parliament.
   
   Mr Canavan is one of seven distinguished figures being honoured at Strathclyde this summer.
   
   Professor Jim Love, Vice-Principal of Strathclyde, said: "Dennis Canavan is a classic example of what the parliamentary back-bencher can achieve.
   ...
   Born in Cowdenbeath, Mr Canavan was a mathematics teacher in Stirling and Assistant Head of Holyrood High School in Edinburgh.He was leader of the Labour Group on Stirling District Council before entering parliament as Labour MP for West Stirlingshire at the October 1974 General Election.
   
   He held this seat until 1983 when, under redrawn boundaries, it was succeeded by Falkirk West and he went on to represent the new constituency at Westminster for 17 more years.
   
   As an MP, Mr Canavan was an active campaigner against corporal punishment in schools, a practice which was abolished in the early 1980s, and he was active in promoting peace in Northern Ireland.He also chaired the Scottish parliamentary Labour Group in 1980-1.
   
   Mr Canavan was a leading advocate of devolution for Scotland and, when the Scottish Parliament was established, he sought election to the new chamber in 1999.He was unsuccessful in seeking selection as Labour candidate for Falkirk West but chose to stand as an independent, winning the seat with nearly 55% of the vote.
   
   In 2003, Mr Canavan repeated his success, scoring a majority of exactly 10,000 and polling more votes than the other candidates put together.He went on to bring a bill to Holyrood proposing a national holiday on St Andrew's Day and, although amendments led to it being a replacement holiday, rather than the additional day Mr Canavan sought, the bill was passed in 2006.
   
   Since retiring from active politics, Mr Canavan has remained a member of CND and Amnesty International.A keen hillwalker, he is also president of Ramblers Scotland.
   
   Mr Canavan was awarded his honorary degree at a ceremony for students of the Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences.

2. 2. ramblers.org.uk

   ramblers.org.uk/scotland/walki - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/9/2007   Last Visited: 5/29/2008

   Get fit for 2014 says Dennis Canavan (Nov 07)Ramblers Association - Scotland - Index
   ...
   Get fit for 2014 says Dennis Canavan
   
   President of Ramblers Association Scotland, Dennis Canavan, today called for a massive programme to make the people of Scotland the fittest in the world.Welcoming the decision to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Dennis Canavan said:
   
   "I congratulate all those in Glasgow and across Scotland whose tremendous efforts have delivered the Games to Glasgow.We must seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire everyone in Scotland to commit to healthy exercise and the enjoyment of the outdoors."
   
   Dennis Canavan emphasised that these Games are not just about elite athletic performance over a few weeks in 2014:
   
   "This is a golden opportunity, not just for our finest athletes, but for everyone to get into the starting blocks for a lifetime commitment to healthy exercise.I want to see everyone walking thirty minutes a day by 2014 or enjoying any other opportunity that Scotland offers for healthy exercise."
   
   The need to commit to a seven-year programme was a top priority, said Dennis:
   ...
   Dennis Canavan was first elected to the House of Commons in 1974 and was a member of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 until he stood down in May this year.He has a long-standing interest in sport and the outdoors - enjoying running, hill walking and horse riding.Dennis was Convener of the Cross Party Sports Group in the Scottish Parliament and Chair of the Scottish Sports Group in the Westminster Parliament.

3. 3. Ramblers Association - Scotland - Index

   www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland/w - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/9/2007   Last Visited: 6/29/2008

   Get fit for 2014 says Dennis Canavan (Nov 07)Ramblers Association - Scotland - Index
   ...
   Get fit for 2014 says Dennis Canavan
   
   President of Ramblers Association Scotland, Dennis Canavan, today called for a massive programme to make the people of Scotland the fittest in the world.Welcoming the decision to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Dennis Canavan said:
   
   "I congratulate all those in Glasgow and across Scotland whose tremendous efforts have delivered the Games to Glasgow.We must seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire everyone in Scotland to commit to healthy exercise and the enjoyment of the outdoors."
   
   Dennis Canavan emphasised that these Games are not just about elite athletic performance over a few weeks in 2014:
   
   "This is a golden opportunity, not just for our finest athletes, but for everyone to get into the starting blocks for a lifetime commitment to healthy exercise.I want to see everyone walking thirty minutes a day by 2014 or enjoying any other opportunity that Scotland offers for healthy exercise."
   
   The need to commit to a seven-year programme was a top priority, said Dennis:
   ...
   Dennis Canavan was first elected to the House of Commons in 1974 and was a member of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 until he stood down in May this year.He has a long-standing interest in sport and the outdoors - enjoying running, hill walking and horse riding.Dennis was Convener of the Cross Party Sports Group in the Scottish Parliament and Chair of the Scottish Sports Group in the Westminster Parliament.