Jim Dobbin

Biography:

Jim Dobbin was re-elected MP for Heywood and Middleton in May 2010 with a majority of 5,971 votes.

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 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.[1]. He has been a member of the European Scrutiny Select Committee since 1998.

Personal life:
Dobbin has chaired the all-party Pro Life Group and is a Roman Catholic. He married Pat Russell in 1964, and they have two sons and two daughters.

Constituency: Heywood and Middleton

Constituency Address: 45 York Street, Heywood, Lancashire, OL10 4NN

Date of Birth: 26 May 1941

Party: Labour

Personal Website: http://www.labour.org.uk/maps/locinfo.phtml?ctid=2323