FRANK Dobson, who served the Holborn and St Pancras constituency as its MP for 36 years, has died, his family said today.

The former health secretary, 79, had stepped down from the House of Commons in 2015, but had been unwell in recent months. A new housing block, Dobson Court, was opened in his name in Holborn last year.

Keir Starmer, who was elected in the constituency after Mr Dobson’s retirement, told the New Journal: “It is incredibly sad news. Frank earned his popularity through his work across the area. He didn’t go in for grand-standing, he was straight-talking and when he saw a problem, he rolled his sleeves up and tried to fix it for people. It was because of Frank that we still have the council housing stock in Camden that we do now. He worked to protect it when Thatcher wanted it to be sold off. People will be remember him as a fantastic health secretary but to me Frank was about housing in Camden. So for him to see Dobson Court open, a block of council housing in the heart of where he had represented for so long, last year… you could see how proud he was, and rightfully so.”

Mr Starmer added: “He was incredibly supportive to me. During the selection contest, he did not declare his hand but as soon as I had been selected he offered support and advice which I will always be grateful for. There are some MPs who retire and still think they are the most important show in town. Frank was not like that. He wanted to carry on protecting the community from things like HS2, to which he was opposed, well after he had retired, but he did so in his own respectful way.”

Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP in Holborn and St Pancras, said Mr Dobson had been encouraging throughout her career.

“Even before I got involved in politics I knew the name Frank Dobson,” she said. “My parents talked about him in the 1980s because he had supported Bangladeshis living her during the Bangladeshi Living War. The community knew how much he had helped. Then when I joined up to  the Labour Party myself, he immediately offered his encouragement and support.”

Ms Siddiq recalled: “Later when I was working for an MP [Harry Cohen] in the House of Commons, I bumped into him on the bus one morning and he said we have to go to Marine Ices. I said I’ll be late for work – and he said: ‘Tell Harry, an old codger has kidnapped you. And we went and had a breakfast ice cream together. He has always been supportive: the first thing he said when I met him for the first time was that there were not enough women from ethnic minorities standing for Labour and that if I ever needed any help to call him.”

Ms Siddiq added: “Over the years, we then had many coffees and conversations and he encouraged me when I stood for parliament. I remember his hard work from when I was a councillor in Regent’s Park. There he came on demonstrations, attended all the meetings when the Crown Estate was planning to sell of homes there. He helped make sure that didn’t happen. And then we campaigned against HS2, which he opposed from day one even while Camden Council was deciding what they thought of it.”

She said: “Yes, he told some awful jokes and told the same anecdotes again and again, but I’m thinking of those stories today. We will all miss him.”

Council leader Councillor Georgia Gould said: “Camden has lost a giant in Frank Dobson. He served our community with unwavering commitment and courage for four decades. Frank is written in to Camden’s DNA – rebellious, larger than life, passionate and always great fun. As Camden’s council leader he was a fierce protector of council housing. As an MP he was a great champion of the NHS and social justice nationally and he never forgot to fight for our community. Anyone who has knocked on a door in Holborn and St Pancras will have heard story after story of how Frank helped people with the small & the big things. Camden truly took Frank into our hearts.”

She added: “In 2018 Frank was there to unveil Dobson Court, brand new council housing in Holborn. When Camden built new council housing on Bourne estate – local residents chose to name it after Frank. He was always there with a joke, sage advice, his big rumbling laugh or a hug and I will carry with me his warmth and huge spirit. All our thoughts are with Frank’s friends and family. In Camden we will never stop fighting for the things Frank believed in and he will forever be part of our great community.”

Former council leader Raj Chada said: “Thoughts with Frank’s family today.  To me, he was “Mr Camden” – leader of the Council, MP for over 30 years.  He fought with passion for this constituency.  He cared about the things that mattered to us – housing and the health service were priorities and his politics were grounded and rooted in he community. ”

He added: “We took great pride when he stood with us, even against the Labour party, be it on  Iraq, the ALMO or tuition fees. His anecdotes were legendary and repeated often – and even more endearing for it. I will miss him – we all will.”

Long-serving Liberal Democrat councillor Flick Rea said: “He was a seasoned warrior and a good constituency MP. He was much-respected and liked and had a cast iron following in St Pancras. He was a clever politician, a wily politician. He was part of the history of Camden. He served it well, he served his constituents well. I shall always be sorry that he was forced out of office, and forced to stand against Ken for Mayor of London. He was used by the Labour Party, as they often use people.”

She added: “I’m sorry to see him go, as one is when a solid part of Camden’s political landscape disappears. He’d done a lot of good for a lot of people, and he will leave a lot of good memories for people behind. I don’t think he would have been happy in the current climate. He was old, old Labour – establishment Labour. The sort of Labour politician I grew up with and understood and could get on with easily. To a large extent we spoke the same language. I would compare him to Martin Morton. Locally, they both quite sort of important figures. People who you understood and knew where they were coming from. We had more in common than we had dividing us.”

A statement from Mr Dobson’s family: “His family would like to thank all the staff at the Homerton University Hospital for their outstanding expertise, commitment and care in the last few months and also the staff of York Hospital for his previous excellent care. He also greatly appreciated the support of his many and former parliamentary colleagues.”

Samira Ahmed, the journalist and presenter, said: “I met Frank Dobson as a supporter of the Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre in Camden. He was the real deal. A committed citizen and activist, a champion of women and full of compassion for the most vulnerable. I’m so sorry we’ve lost him.”

Former prime minister Gordon Brown said: “He represented all that was good about Labour values. He always spoke with passion on the NHS and was an outstanding Health Secretary. He never once forgot his roots or the people he came into politics to fight for. Thoughts are with his family.”