John Dobson - a Norfolk councillor who is used to a battle

As well as opposing what he saw as a politically-motivated move towards a Norfolk unitary authority, he called in the controversial decision to build an incinerator near King's Lynn – and was thrown out of the Conservative group for doing so.

Yet for someone who served in the military as a Russian expert during the Cold War and who was expelled by Saddam Hussein as the UK's military attaché to Iraq, Mr Dobson has had the perfect training for the rough and tumble of local politics.

From an early age, Mr Dobson – who today is county councillor for Dersingham division – developed an interest in modern foreign languages.

'It seemed to me the best idea then was to pursue what I regarded as a skill I had,' he said. 'At that time, it seemed the best opportunity was in the army.'

Mr Dobson successfully applied to Sandhurst to study Russian. 'It gave me confidence, fitness, the ability to give a lecture and instruct and leadership skills,' he said.

Instead of going to university, he went to an army training garrison and was posted to Germany before completing an intensive Russian language training course.

That included living with a Russian family and learning about the country's history and culture.

'There were a lot of reasons for using my skills,' Mr Dobson said.

'Principally at that stage, the threat to this country was from the Warsaw Pact,' referring to the military alliance set up by the Soviet Union and other communist countries in opposition to the West.

'It was important that you had numbers of people who could speak the language of the enemy.'

Much of Mr Dobson's work was on classified activities using the Russian language.

Between 1964 and 1973, he was deployed to a range of places, including the East German border, Berlin and the Far East.

In the 1970s he was a British liaison officer in SOXMIS, an arrangement where the Allies and the USSR deployed small number of personnel in each other's territories in Germany to monitor East-West relations. Mr Dobson said that was important because it opened up an important channel of communication between commanders-in-chief on opposing sides.

Speaking of his work during the Cold War, Mr Dobson said: 'It was fascinating because I had contact with the Russians because of my various jobs. It was a thrilling thing to be doing. There was a sort of mutually-assured destruction on both sides, who had each built up forces that meant if either side became the aggressor, they could immediately respond.

'A key theme of all of this work I did was the relationship with the United States,' he said – adding that much time was spent sharing information as part of what is called the 'special relationship'.

By the 1980s, Mr Dobson was reaching the age of retirement – 50 in the military – and knew he had to look for a second career.

After resettlement training, he was head-hunted by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and given a role helping with the management and support of intelligence in the department.

'All the skills I had as a practitioner of intelligence I was able to use in order to advise senior staff officers,' he said.

He said the most important skill needed at this time – and indeed throughout his working life – was the ability to communicate, adding: 'If you're working in Whitehall, the medium of communication is the written word.

'You have to write accurate, fast and high-standard briefs for very senior people and enjoy making day-to-day decisions.'

In 1991, Mr Dobson was made defence attaché to Iraq, advising the UK government on defence issues in the country. He spent much time preparing for the role, not only learning Arabic but also Middle Eastern habits and customs.

However, when sanctions were imposed on Iraq in the lead up to the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein barred all British diplomats from the country – before Mr Dobson even had a chance to take up the post. Mr Dobson described that as a 'great annoyance', adding: 'I went from being one of the most important people in the MoD and suddenly became no one, because I didn't have a job.'

Instead he was later deployed as defence attaché to Mexico, Guatemala and Cuba.

However ,when he retired to west Norfolk, where he and his wife had kept a second home for 35 years, he was in no mood for putting his feet up. In 2000, he stood as a Conservative candidate in the local council elections and went on to sit on the borough and county councils for more than 10 years.

'I thought I had the skills that would enable to me contribute to the work of the council,' he said.

'When I was in the military I didn't get involved in politics at all. I don't think I even voted. However I have found it fascinating and that there has been a great deal of opportunity to influence the way the way the council administers its services and how they are provided.'

He also later served as leader of West Norfolk Borough Council.

One of the main issues he has been involved with during his time as a councillor was the debate about moving Norfolk to a system of unitary authority governance.

'It would have meant that places like King's Lynn would have been controlled from the other side of Norwich,' he said. However it was successfully defeated after what Mr Dobson called a 'hard-fought' battle.

'Having got that out of the way, the next major issue was the incinerator,' he said.

He was faced with a tough choice of whether he represented the views of his constituents or the party he was elected to represent.

However his view is clear: 'You are there to represent the views of your constituents. If you don't, then you are an imposter.'

That meant when Mr Dobson challenged the decision at County Hall he was suspended from the Tory group, although he has since been reinstated.

On Friday it was announced the private finance initiative funding was pulled by the government, meaning that it looks as though Mr Dobson has won another battle.

'Both the military and local politics have been fascinating areas to work in,' he said. 'I feel privileged to have been able to participate in two such important areas.'