| The Rt Hon Frank Dobson | |
 | |
| In office 2 May 1997 – 11 October 1999 | |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | Stephen Dorrell |
| Succeeded by | Alan Milburn |
Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras | |
| In office 9 June 1983 – present | |
| Preceded by | new constituency |
| Born | March 15, 1940  York, UK |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics |
Frank Gordon Dobson (born March 15, 1940) is a British politician and member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras, for Labour. Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to Stephen James Dorrell MP (born 25 March 1952) is a British Politician. Alan Milburn (born 27 January 1958 is a British Politician. He is Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP for Darlington, and served Holborn and St Pancras is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom covering the southern half of the London Borough of Camden which includes districts of Camden Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval The London School of Economics and Political Science, more commonly referred to as The London School of Economics or LSE, is a specialist college of the Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Holborn and St Pancras is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom covering the southern half of the London Borough of Camden which includes districts of Camden The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the
Contents |
Early Life
Dobson was born in York, England and attended the London School of Economics where he studied economics. York ( is an historic Walled city sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The London School of Economics and Political Science, more commonly referred to as The London School of Economics or LSE, is a specialist college of the He worked for the Central Electricity Generating Board and the Electricity Council. After fighting for a seat on Camden 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. The London Borough of Camden ( is a borough of London, England, which forms part of Inner London. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar.
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. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1979 he was elected as MP for Holborn and St. Pancras. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Holborn and St Pancras is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom covering the southern half of the London Borough of Camden which includes districts of Camden 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. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) As Spokesman on Environment and London from 1994 he led the national Labour response to the series of scandals over Westminster City Council and its former leader Shirley Porter. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The City of Westminster ( is a borough of London with city status. Shirley Lady Porter DBE (born 29 November, 1930) is a former British Conservative leader of Westminster City Council in
In government
However, when Labour won power in 1997, Dobson was appointed as Secretary of State for Health. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health. 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. The government's proposal to introduce Private Finance Initiative Hospitals was highly controversial. The Private Finance Initiative specifies a method developed initially by the United Kingdom Government, to provide financial support for " Public-Private
Election for Mayor of London
Dobson was manoeuvred by the Labour Party leadership into announcing his resignation in order to stand as Mayor of London in the inaugural elections. 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 (see He managed to beat Ken Livingstone in the Labour Party's internal selection, helped by an existing electoral system that tended to favour him and no requirement for affiliated trade unions to ballot their members. Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945 is a British Socialist Politician. Livingstone then fought the election as an independent, and Dobson came third, only just ahead of the Liberal Democrat candidate. He 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.
Criticism and Controversy
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. Alan Milburn (born 27 January 1958 is a British Politician. He is Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP for Darlington, and served Milburn had some hours been earlier been mentioned by Charles Clarke as a possible future Labour leader. Charles Rodway Clarke (born 21 September 1950 is a British Labour Party Politician. [1]
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 Weblog
- ePolitix - Rt Hon Frank Dobson official site
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Frank Dobson MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Frank Dobson MP
- "..since 1997" when Dobson became Health Secretary
- 'In Charge of a Nation's Health' - Interview with Frank Dobson in sBMJ by Tom Jaconelli
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