FORMER First Minister Donald Dewar is savaged in a book by ex-colleague Dennis Canavan.

The memoirs of the former MP and MSP also include scathing criticisms of other key Labour players, including calling Gordon Brown a "dithering" leader and saying George Foulkes was "desperate for publicity".

Mr Canavan said Mr Dewar, who died in 2000, was a petty and hypocritical man, who made disrespectful comments about the death of Mr Canavan's son, Paul.

Mr Canavan quotes Mr Dewar as reacting to the death by saying: "Oh no! That's all we need. He was mad enough before but I shudder to think what he'll be like now."

Mr Canavan, a Scottish Labour MP for nearly 30 years, makes the claim in his book, Let The People Decide.