Jim Dobbin's Funeral

LABOUR leader Ed Miliband, the House of Commons' Speaker, John Bercow, the Deputy Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, John Prescott, shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham and shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, all attended the funeral service at Salford Cathedral of Jim Dobbin, the MP for Heywood and Middleton, last weekend.  There was no sign however of the Labour MP for the neighbouring constituency of Rochdale Simon Danczuk, who was said to be on holiday.

Jim Dobbin, whose constituency includes Castleton, Norden and Bamford as well as Heywood and Middleton, had been in the Commons since 1997.  He died aged 73 on a Council of Europe trip to Slupsk in Poland at the beginning on this month. 

Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow Health Secretary said of Jim Dobbin that he had 'always pledged to do more to protect the NHS'.

The by-election for Mr. Dobbin's constituency seat will take place on October 9th.