Frank Dobson
Encyclopedia
Frank Gordon Dobson, is a British
Labour Party
politician
who has been the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Holborn and St. Pancras since 1979
. He served in the Cabinet
as Secretary of State for Health
from 1997 to 1999, and was the official Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London
in 2000, ultimately finishing third in the election
, behind Conservative
Steven Norris
and winner Ken Livingstone
.
, England where he attended Dunnington
County C of E Primary School and the Archbishop Holgate Grammar School (became Archbishop Holgate's School
in 1985) on Hull Road. He then studied Economics at the London School of Economics
, gaining a BSc
in 1962. He worked for the headquarters of the Central Electricity Generating Board
from 1962–70 and the Electricity Council
from 1970 to 1975. From 1975 to 1979, he was Assistant Secretary of the Office of Local Ombudsman. After fighting for a seat on Camden London Borough Council
in 1964, he was elected in 1971 and rose so rapidly that he was chosen as Labour Group Leader (and therefore Leader of the Council) after the resignation of Millie Miller in 1973.
(later Holborn and St. Pancras
). His naturally pugnacious style of politics earned him rapid promotion to the front bench where he served in several important posts from 1982; his liking for 'dirty jokes' and conviviality won him many friends despite his partisanship. As Spokesman on Environment and London from 1994 he led the national Labour response to the series of scandals over City of Westminster
council and its former leader Shirley Porter
.
. This was a high-profile post but Dobson found it difficult to make a significant impact because of the decision to stick within spending limits set by the previous Conservative government. Dobson did, however, abolish the internal market inside the NHS
, a policy that was later reversed by his successor, Alan Milburn
.
in the inaugural elections. He managed to beat Ken Livingstone
in the Labour Party's internal selection, helped by an electoral college system that tended to favour him and no requirement for affiliated trade union
s to ballot their members. In May 2000, Livingstone fought and won the Mayoral election as an independent candidate. Dobson finished third behind Livingstone and the Conservative candidate Steven Norris
, and just ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate Susan Kramer
. Dobson has since been a critical friend
of the Government and was re-elected as an MP, albeit with a reduced majority, in the May 2005 general election. He was one of the main opponents of the Iraq war from within the Labour Party, proposing the anti-war motion in the crucial House of Commons debate on the subject.
In the Labour leadership controversy following Tony Blair's declaration he would step down within a year of September 2006, Dobson called for Blair to step down right away and end uncertainty.
He also attacked Alan Milburn
for making a 'terrible mess' of the NHS. Milburn had some hours earlier been mentioned by Charles Clarke
as a possible future Labour leader.
Dobson has been criticised for hypocrisy for saying he was against Post Office closures, then voting for them in Parliament.
In the expenses scandal, he strongly supported the Speaker of the House
in his attempts to block exposure of expenses - arguing he was merely being scapegoated (for instance on Radio 4, 10am, 16 May 2009). He also supported the Speaker in allowing a warrant-less search of the offices of a member of parliament, Damian Green
.
A survey of his constituents showed that, in 2008, Dobson responded to 69 letters out of 269 sent through WriteToThem.com, putting him in 605th place out of 638 MPs for which data was available.
In late 2006 he underwent a quadruple bypass and was away from parliament for a considerable time but is believed to have recovered well, and has been active since.
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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 Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
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 Holborn and St. Pancras since 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
. He served in the Cabinet
Blair Ministry
Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for three successive parliamentary terms from 1997-2007. His Cabinet was reshuffled for each new parliament as well as changed during the three periods.-Formation:...
as Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
from 1997 to 1999, and was the official Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
in 2000, ultimately finishing third in the election
London mayoral election, 2000
The first election to the office of Mayor of London took place on 4 May 2000.-Results:¹Under the Supplementary Vote system, if no candidate receives 50% of 1st choice votes, 2nd choice votes are added to the result for the top two 1st choice candidates...
, behind 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...
Steven Norris
Steven Norris
Steven John Norris is a British Conservative politician. He was the official Conservative candidate for Mayor of London in 2000 and 2004, losing in both races to Ken Livingstone....
and winner Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
.
Early life
Dobson's father was a railwayman and he was born in YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, England where he attended Dunnington
Dunnington
Dunnington is a village and civil parish in the City of York unitary authority and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England, approximately east of York. It has an older centre, part of which is a conservation area....
County C of E Primary School and the Archbishop Holgate Grammar School (became Archbishop Holgate's School
Archbishop Holgate's School
Archbishop Holgate's School is a voluntary aided Church of England, coeducational secondary school in York, England.-Admissions:The school has two main specialist statuses - Science College and Leading Edge. The current headmaster is Andrew Daly...
in 1985) on Hull Road. He then studied Economics at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, gaining a BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in 1962. He worked for the headquarters of the Central Electricity Generating Board
CEGB
The Central Electricity Generating Board was the cornerstone of the British electricity industry for almost 40 years; from 1957, to privatisation in the 1990s....
from 1962–70 and the Electricity Council
Electricity Council
The Electricity Council was a governmental body set up in 1957 to oversee the electricity supply industry in England and Wales. The Council's responsibilities included:...
from 1970 to 1975. From 1975 to 1979, he was Assistant Secretary of the Office of Local Ombudsman. After fighting for a seat on Camden London Borough Council
Camden London Borough Council
Camden London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Camden in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London...
in 1964, he was elected in 1971 and rose so rapidly that he was chosen as Labour Group Leader (and therefore Leader of the Council) after the resignation of Millie Miller in 1973.
Member of Parliament
He stood down as Leader in 1975 and resigned from the Council on taking up a non-partisan job as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Local Ombudsman. In 1979 he was elected as MP for Holborn and St Pancras SouthHolborn and St Pancras South (UK Parliament constituency)
Holborn and St Pancras South was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Holborn district of Central London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system.The constituency was created for...
(later Holborn and St. Pancras
Holborn and St. Pancras (UK Parliament constituency)
Holborn and St. Pancras is a borough 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 voting system.-Constituency Profile:...
). His naturally pugnacious style of politics earned him rapid promotion to the front bench where he served in several important posts from 1982; his liking for 'dirty jokes' and conviviality won him many friends despite his partisanship. As Spokesman on Environment and London from 1994 he led the national Labour response to the series of scandals over City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
council and its former leader Shirley Porter
Shirley Porter
Dame Shirley Porter, Lady Porter, DBE, is a former Conservative leader of Westminster City Council in London and a prominent philanthropist in Israel and the UK. She is the daughter and heir of Sir Jack Cohen, the founder of Tesco supermarkets...
.
In government
When Labour won power in 1997, Dobson was appointed as Secretary of State for HealthSecretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
. This was a high-profile post but Dobson found it difficult to make a significant impact because of the decision to stick within spending limits set by the previous Conservative government. Dobson did, however, abolish the internal market inside 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...
, a policy that was later reversed by his successor, Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Darlington from 1992 until 2010...
.
Election for Mayor of London
Dobson was manoeuvred by the Labour Party leadership into announcing his resignation in order to stand as Mayor of LondonMayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
in the inaugural elections. He managed to beat Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
in the Labour Party's internal selection, helped by an electoral college system that tended to favour him and no requirement for affiliated trade union
Affiliated trade union
In British politics, the term affiliated trade union refers to a trade union that has an affiliation to the British Labour Party.The Party was created by the trade unions and socialist societies in 1900 as the Labour Representation Committee...
s to ballot their members. In May 2000, Livingstone fought and won the Mayoral election as an independent candidate. Dobson finished third behind Livingstone and the Conservative candidate Steven Norris
Steven Norris
Steven John Norris is a British Conservative politician. He was the official Conservative candidate for Mayor of London in 2000 and 2004, losing in both races to Ken Livingstone....
, and just ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate Susan Kramer
Susan Kramer
Susan Veronica Kramer, Baroness Kramer is a British Liberal Democrat politician. She was Member of Parliament for Richmond Park from 2005 to 2010, having been an unsuccessful candidate in the London mayoral election in 2000....
. Dobson has since been a critical friend
Critical friend
Critical friend has its origins in critical pedagogy education reforms in the 1970s and arose out of the self-appraisal activity which is attributed to Desmond Nuttall...
of the Government and was re-elected as an MP, albeit with a reduced majority, in the May 2005 general election. He was one of the main opponents of the Iraq war from within the Labour Party, proposing the anti-war motion in the crucial House of Commons debate on the subject.
Criticism and controversy
Frank Dobson has been the subject of controversy for living in a council flat whilst on a six figure ministerial salary.In the Labour leadership controversy following Tony Blair's declaration he would step down within a year of September 2006, Dobson called for Blair to step down right away and end uncertainty.
He also attacked Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn
Alan Milburn is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Darlington from 1992 until 2010...
for making a 'terrible mess' of the NHS. Milburn had some hours earlier been mentioned by Charles Clarke
Charles Clarke
Charles Rodway Clarke is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Norwich South from 1997 until 2010, and served as Home Secretary from December 2004 until May 2006.-Early life:...
as a possible future Labour leader.
Dobson has been criticised for hypocrisy for saying he was against Post Office closures, then voting for them in Parliament.
In the expenses scandal, he strongly supported the Speaker of the House
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
in his attempts to block exposure of expenses - arguing he was merely being scapegoated (for instance on Radio 4, 10am, 16 May 2009). He also supported the Speaker in allowing a warrant-less search of the offices of a member of parliament, Damian Green
Damian Green
Damian Howard Green is a British politician who has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ashford since 1997. He came to national prominence after being elected in his constituency. Before standing for parliament, Damian Green was Channel 4's business editor...
.
A survey of his constituents showed that, in 2008, Dobson responded to 69 letters out of 269 sent through WriteToThem.com, putting him in 605th place out of 638 MPs for which data was available.
Personal life
He married Janet Mary Alker in 1967 and they have two sons and a daughter. He is a fan of West Ham United.In late 2006 he underwent a quadruple bypass and was away from parliament for a considerable time but is believed to have recovered well, and has been active since.
External links
- Frank Dobson MP official constituency site
- Camden Labour Party official party site
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