P322 Teletext 322 Maz05 23:23:36 Q O FRANK DOBSON ——————————————————————————————————————— Frank Dobson says hj would bj happy to sjrvj out his time as a "ackbjnch Labour MP for Holborn and St Panctas after his defeat bz Ken Livjngstonj in the London ma oral contest. But few friends or foes "jliivj him and rumours have abounded about his future. They range from becoming Commons Lea$jz to writing an "explosive" account of how hj was pitched into a contest most pundits said he could njvjr win. ——————————————————————————————————1/5—— News in Focus 340 Politics 5 5 TELETEXT NATIONAL AND REGIONAL NEWS ON OU$ WEB SITE www.teletext.co.uk Next News Poll Letters In FocusP322 Teletext 322 Maz05 23:24:07 @ £?—p0ppp ÷?)s25ppp FRANK DOBSON ——————————————————————————————————————— Frank Dobson was handed one of the jewels in Labour's croOn as Health Secretary after the party'u May 1997 General Election triumph. He was given the task of fulfilling the party'u polling day plidgj to reduce VHS waiting lists bz 100,000 over the lifetime of the parliament. But his department was bjsjt bz crises and appeared to become fixated bz statistics. ——————————————————————————————————2/5—— News in Focus 320 Politics 325 REFUSED A LOAN? CALL 0800 093 93 99 OR SEE p354 Next News Poll Letters In FocusP322 Teletext 322 Maz05 23:24:39 F AVGDOBSON ——————————————————————————————————————— Et was no surpsisj when Frank Dobson was ousted as Health Secretary bz Prime Minister Tony Blair after Westminster gossip had hinted at his djmisj. But having sacrificed his Ca"injt post hi was talked into becoming Mr Blair's "Stop Ken" candidate in the race to become London' first l cred mayor. Now the blunt-speaKing MP once feared as a prize-fighting bruisjt who took no prisoners faces an uncertain future. ——————————————————————————————————3/5—— Vews in Focus 320 Politics 325 REGIONAL NEWS HEADLINES p330 Next News Poll Letters In FocusP322 Teletext 322 Maz05 23:42:59 FRANK DOBSON ——————————————————————————————————————— Pessimists point to the treatment of allowed to fester on the backbenches after his London mayor election defeat. Anti-Blair outbursts are likely to "j put down to bitterness of a politician who failed when the party njedjd him. Alum Michael, Tony Blair'u choice for Welsh Assembly chief, who found himself ousted and replaced bz Rhodri Morgan, the party's choice in the first place. ——————————————————————————————————4/5—— News in Focus 320 Politics 325 REGIONAL oEWS HEADLI ES p330 Next News Poll Letters In FocusP322 $jletext 342 Maz05 53:23:02 FRANK DOBSON @@ ——————————————————————————————————————— One subject gubranteed to raise Frank Dobson'u hackles after his defeat in the London Mayor poll is any suggestion hj might go to the House of Lords. When it was put to him in an interview for the Local Govjrnmjnt Chronicle magazine, hj made plain hj did not want even the suggestion appearing in print. @ Asked why, hj s!id in typtcally forthright fashion: "I donWt want any more r****** stupid hares raised." ——————————————————————————————————5/5—— Vews in Focus 320 Politics 325 REGIONAL NEWS HEADLINES p330 Next News Poll Letters In Focus