YORK born veteran MP Frank Dobson has announced he will retire from politics before the next election.

Mr Dobson's father was a railwayman in the city, and he was educated at Dunnington County Church of England Primary School and the Archbishop Holgate Grammar School, before he left the city of university at the London School of Economics.

The 74 year old served as Health Secretary in Tony Blair's Government before standing in the first London Mayoral election, and is known for his opposition for the Iraq war.

After serving as MP for Holborn and St Pancras since 1979, he announced his retirement at a meeting of party members saying:

"I have decided to pack in when people are stopping me in the street to say they hope I am not going - rather than waiting until they ask why the hell I am still around."