From the Daily Telegraph
Jim Dobbin, the Labour MP for
Heywood and Middleton, who has died aged 73, chaired the All-Party Pro-Life
Group and trenchantly opposed same-sex marriage; his final contribution in the
Commons, days before his sudden death, was to urge caution over producing
“three-parent designer babies”.
He had already been selected to stand again at next year’s election, by which time he would have been 74.
He died in Slupsk, Poland while on a Council of Europe delegation to present the city with the Europe Prize.
Dobbin’s politics combined a devout Catholicism, a Scot’s distrust of military involvements overseas, a scientist’s thirst for proof and a socialism that put him some way to the Left of the party leadership.
He had already been selected to stand again at next year’s election, by which time he would have been 74.
He died in Slupsk, Poland while on a Council of Europe delegation to present the city with the Europe Prize.
Dobbin’s politics combined a devout Catholicism, a Scot’s distrust of military involvements overseas, a scientist’s thirst for proof and a socialism that put him some way to the Left of the party leadership.
He was widely respected, Lord Prescott terming him “an excellent local MP, a strong believer in Europe [depends what you mean, in both of their cases], a proud Scot and a passionate defender of the NHS”.
In July he co-sponsored a motion criticising Israel’s action in Gaza, telling David Cameron: “I cannot stress strongly enough the disbelief and shock communicated by constituents of mine, when considering the Coalition Government’s response.
“Where is the plan for a safe and secure future for the Middle East? What action is the Government taking? Constituents are asking for peaceful action that leads to acknowledgement of the legitimate claims of the Palestinians to statehood, leading to a viable Palestine, alongside a secure Israel.”
Last winter Dobbin upset the cycling lobby by calling during a Transport Select Committee session for all cyclists to be registered and tested.
Some accused him of being a “dinosaur” when he complained of cyclists ignoring the Highway Code and scratching car paintwork.
Yet Dobbin’s opposition to same-sex marriage – articulated in a Commons speech in February last year as well as consistent “Noes” in the division lobby – made the greatest impact.
“Marriage,” he declared, “is primarily an institution that supports the bearing and raising of children in a committed and constant relationship.
“The traditional understanding of marriage has three basic elements: it is between a man and a woman, it is for life, and it is to the exclusion of all others.”
These crucial elements were “designed not to exclude people or create inequality, but to promote the unique benefit of marriage in our society: it secures family environments and provides the essential qualities of safety and reliability for children.”
Challenging the idea that same-sex marriage was about equality and fairness, Dobbin added:
“The equality agenda has been narrowly limited to dogmatic principles of uniformity. Such language makes open debate and disagreement look like prejudice.”
James Dobbin was born at Kincardine, central Scotland, on May 26 1941, the son of William Dobbin, a miner, and the former Catherine McCabe.
From St Columba’s high school, Cowdenbeath and St Andrew’s, Kirkcaldy, he completed his studies at Napier College, Edinburgh.
Joining the NHS as a microbiologist in 1966, Dobbin moved south, working mainly at the Royal Oldham Hospital.
He was elected to Rochdale council in 1983, leading its Labour group from 1994 and the council after Labour took control in 1996.
Dobbin fought Bury North in 1992, then was selected for Heywood and Middleton to succeed the retiring Jim Callaghan (not the former prime minister).
As Labour under Tony Blair swept to power in 1997, Dobbin was elected with a majority of 17,542.
At Westminster he became a member of the European Scrutiny Committee, serving until his death.
Generally loyal to the Labour government, he rebelled against the Iraq war, and voted for a fully elected House of Lords – and more recently for a Mansion Tax.
When the furore over MPs’ expenses erupted in 2009, Dobbin had one of the lowest bills overall, though it did include £400 for decking for the garden of his London home.
He had, however, made one of the largest claims for staff – £99,700 – justifying it because of the size of his constituency.
That staff included his wife, the leader of Rochdale council and one current and one former Labour councillor.
Re-elected in 2010 with a majority of 5,971, Dobbin became a forceful critic of the Coalition’s social policies.
He was also Fusilier Lee Rigby’s MP, saying after the soldier’s murder by two Islamists in Woolwich last year that the death had “absolutely traumatised” people in Middleton.
As a Catholic and a scientist, Dobbin watched closely the argument on mitochondrial replacement, which would create what have been dubbed “three-parent designer babies”.
Referring to tests on the process that have yet to be completed, he warned: “Denying Parliament the opportunity to examine these results seems difficult to defend.
“In effect, it would be asking the House to vote blind on the safety of techniques that the House might reject outright on the basis of the results.
“Let us be clear and honest about this: the results could not be published and peer reviewed in time for the rumoured vote in the autumn.”
Jim Dobbin was invested as a Knight of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.
He married Pat Russell in 1964;
they had two sons and two daughters.
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