Jim Dobbin
Encyclopedia
James "Jim" Dobbin is a British
Labour Co-operative
politician
and microbiologist
, who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Heywood and Middleton since 1997
.
, Scotland, the son of a coal miner
, and educated at the Catholic St Columba's
High School, Cowdenbeath
, and the Catholic St Andrew's High School on Overton Road in Kirkcaldy
. He later went to Napier College, Edinburgh
where he studied Bacteriology
and Virology
.
He worked as a microbiologist within the NHS
for 33 years until 1994, mainly at the Royal Oldham Hospital. He was elected chairman of the Rochdale Constituency
Labour Party for a year in 1980.
, becoming the Labour group leader in 1994, and became the leader of the council in 1996. He stepped down from both the National Health Service
and the council at Rochdale
on his election to the House of Commons. In 1992 he had unsuccessfully contested the Bury North
seat, coming 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 30 July 1997.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970730/debtext/70730-04.htm#70730-04_spnew4. He has been a member of the European Scrutiny Select Committee since 1998.
In May 2009 it was revealed that Dobbin claimed more public funds for staff than any other MP in Greater Manchester: £99,700. He has defended this by observing that he also has the largest number of constituents. Nationally, he has one of the lowest overall expense bills, with 504 out of 646 MPs having higher expense claims than him.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Labour Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and microbiologist
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
, who has been the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Heywood and Middleton since 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
Education and career
Jim Dobbin was born in Kincardine on Forth, FifeFife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland, the son of a coal miner
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, and educated at the Catholic St Columba's
Saint Columba
-Saints:* Columba , Irish Christian saint who evangelized Scotland* Columba the Virgin, also known as Saint Columba of Cornwall* Columba of Sens* Columba of Spain* Columba of Terryglass* Sancta Columba -Schools:...
High School, Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is 5 miles north-east of Dunfermline and 18 miles north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a Police Burgh in 1890...
, and the Catholic St Andrew's High School on Overton Road in Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
. He later went to Napier College, Edinburgh
Napier University
Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
where he studied Bacteriology
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
and Virology
Virology
Virology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy...
.
He worked as a microbiologist within the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
for 33 years until 1994, mainly at the Royal Oldham Hospital. He was elected chairman of the Rochdale Constituency
Rochdale (UK Parliament constituency)
Rochdale is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
Labour Party for a year in 1980.
Political career
In 1983 he was elected as a councillor in the Metropolitan Borough of RochdaleMetropolitan Borough of Rochdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after its largest town, Rochdale, but spans a far larger area which includes the towns of Middleton, Heywood, Littleborough and Milnrow, and the village of Wardle.The borough was...
, becoming the Labour group leader in 1994, and became the leader of the council in 1996. He stepped down from both the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
and the council at Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
on his election to the House of Commons. In 1992 he had unsuccessfully contested the Bury North
Bury North (UK Parliament constituency)
Bury North is a borough constituency in Greater Manchester, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
seat, coming second to the sitting Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Alistair Burt
Alistair Burt
Alistair James Hendrie Burt is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Bedfordshire...
, some 4,764 votes behind.
Dobbin was elected to the House of Commons at the 1997 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
for the safe Labour seat of Heywood and Middleton on the retirement of the veteran Labour MP Jim Callaghan
James Callaghan (Lancashire politician)
James Callaghan is a British Labour politician.He has the distinction of having the same name as his unrelated contemporary, more famous colleague and fellow Labour MP, James Callaghan, who served as Labour Party leader from 1976 to 1980 .He was educated at Manchester and London universities, and...
. He held the seat comfortably with a majority of 17,542 and has been an MP there since. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 30 July 1997.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970730/debtext/70730-04.htm#70730-04_spnew4. He has been a member of the European Scrutiny Select Committee since 1998.
Expenses
Dobbin employs his wife to be his secretary in the House of Commons, a practice which has attracted significant national debate, but remains permissible under House of Commons rules. Labour councillors Colin Lambert and Alan Godson, as well as ex-Labour councillor Brian Leather are also paid out of Dobbin's parliamentary expenses.In May 2009 it was revealed that Dobbin claimed more public funds for staff than any other MP in Greater Manchester: £99,700. He has defended this by observing that he also has the largest number of constituents. Nationally, he has one of the lowest overall expense bills, with 504 out of 646 MPs having higher expense claims than him.