19 Facts About Jim Dobbin

Jim Dobbin was born in Fife, Scotland, the son of a coal miner, and educated at Catholic schools.

Jim Dobbin later studied bacteriology and virology at Napier College, Edinburgh.

Jim Dobbin worked as a microbiologist within the NHS for 33 years until 1994, mainly at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Jim Dobbin was elected chairman of the Rochdale Constituency Labour Party for a year in 1980.

Jim Dobbin stepped down from both the National Health Service and the council at Rochdale on his election to the House of Commons.

Jim Dobbin held the seat comfortably with a majority of 17,542 and remained its MP for the rest of his life.

Jim Dobbin was a member of the European Scrutiny Select committee from 1998 to 2014.

In February 2013, Jim Dobbin voted against the second reading of the Marriage Act 2013.

Jim Dobbin was heavily criticised for his rudeness to cyclists on the "House of Commons Transport Select Committee to Discuss Cycling" in December 2013.

Jim Dobbin employed 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.

Rochdale council leader Colin Lambert, Labour councillor Alan Godson, as well as former Labour councillor Brian Leather, were employed by Jim Dobbin, and remunerated from his parliamentary expenses.

Jim Dobbin defended this by observing that he had the largest number of constituents.

Jim Dobbin was in the country for a Council of Europe visit, on which he was accompanied by Lord Prescott and MP Alan Meale.

Jim Dobbin had attended an official dinner during which the participants drank a shot of spirits between each course, and his blood alcohol level was 0.399, nearly five times the UK drink-drive limit.

Jim Dobbin's death was investigated by a British coroner who ruled 'death by misadventure'.

Jim Dobbin's funeral consisted of a Requiem Mass held at the Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist, the Roman Catholic cathedral in Salford, on 20 September 2014.

Jim Dobbin chaired the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group and campaigned strongly for a change to British abortion law.

Jim Dobbin was honoured by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George under the grandmastership of the Duke of Castro with the rank of Knight of Merit with Star.

Jim Dobbin married Patricia Russell in 1964; the couple had two sons and two daughters.