Jim Dobbin
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James Jim Dobbin (born May 26, 1941) British politician and microbiologist. He is the Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton, Greater Manchester, England.
[edit] Education and career
Jim Dobbin was born in Kincardine on Forth, Fife, Scotland, the son of a coal miner, and educated at the St Columba's High School, Cowdenbeath, and St Andrew's High School, Kirkcaldy. He later went to Napier College, Edinburgh where he studied bacteriology and virology.
He worked as a microbiologist within the National Health Service for 33 years, mainly at the Royal Oldham Hospital. He was elected chairman of the Rochdale Constituency Labour Party for a year in 1980.
[edit] Political career
In 1983 he was elected as a councillor in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, becoming the Labour group leader in 1994, and became the leader of the council in 1996. He stepped down from both the NHS and the council at Rochdale on his election to parliament. In 1992 he had unsuccessfully contested the Bury North seat, but came second to the sitting Conservative MP Alistair Burt, some 4,764 votes behind.
Dobbin was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election for the safe Labour seat of Heywood and Middleton on the retirement of the veteran Labour MP Jim Callaghan. He held the seat comfortably with a majority of 17,542 and has been an MP there since. He made his maiden speech on July 30, 1997.[1]. He has been a member of the European Scrutiny Select Committee since 1998.
Dobbin has chaired the all-party Pro Life Group and is a Roman Catholic, and has been married to Pat Russell since 1964, and they have two sons and two daughters. His wife is also his secretary. Amongst his constituents he can boast the comedian Bernard Manning, who lives in Allkrington near Middleton.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Callaghan |
Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton 1997 – present |
Incumbent |
[edit] External links
Categories: 1941 births | Living people | Current British MPs | Current members of the United Kingdom Parliament from English constituencies | Councillors in North West England | Alumni of Napier University | People from Fife | Scottish microbiologists | Scottish politicians | Labour Co-operative MPs (UK) | Roman Catholic politicians | UK MPs 1997-2001 | UK MPs 2001-2005 | UK MPs 2005-
