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Zubir Ahmed

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Zubir Ahmed
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety
In office
6 September 2025 – 12 May 2026
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byPreet Kaur Gill
Member of Parliament
for Glasgow South West
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 July 2024
Preceded byChris Stephens
Majority3,285 (9.2%)
Personal details
BornJuly 1981 (age 45)
Glasgow, Scotland
PartyLabour
EducationUniversity of Glasgow
(MB ChB)
University College London (MSc)
King's College London (PhD)
University of Strathclyde (MBA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Zubir Ahmed (born 1980 or 1981)[1] is a Scottish Labour politician and surgeon serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow South West since 2024. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety from 2025 to 2026.[2][3]

Early life and medical career

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Ahmed was born to Pakistani parents who emigrated to Scotland in the 1960s, and was the eldest of five children.[4] His father was a taxi driver and he grew up in Govanhill, Glasgow.

Ahmed was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, initially fee-paying and latterly on scholarship,[5] where he was a contemporary of Anas Sarwar and Humza Yousaf.[6][4]

Ahmed received a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University of Glasgow in 2005, where he studied alongside Sarwar once again.[7] He was awarded a Master of Science degree in healthcare from University College London in 2012, a research fellowship in transplantation at King's College London in 2019, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Strathclyde in 2020.

Ahmed was a transplant and vascular surgeon in Glasgow and volunteered in Pakistan.[8][4] He has been a fellow of the European Board of Surgery and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.[9] Following his election to Parliament, he continued to practise to maintain his medical licence.[10]

Political career

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Ahmed joined the Labour Party as a teenager, and decided to stand for office during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] He was the Labour candidate for Glasgow Pollok in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, coming second to the Scottish National Party's (SNP) Humza Yousaf.[7]

Ahmed was elected as Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West at the 2024 general election, defeating SNP incumbent Chris Stephens.[12] He was appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, several weeks after his election.[10]

Ahmed received a £10,000 donation from the think tank Labour Together.[13]

On 12 May 2026, he resigned as junior health minister, citing the Labour Party's poor performance in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and calling for Keir Starmer to resign.[14]

Personal life

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Ahmed met his wife at university. They have two sons and live in Glasgow South West.[15][5][16]

References

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  1. ↑ Ferguson, John (22 October 2023). "Top Scots surgeon's Labour MP bid after years of Tory NHS damage and SNP failure". Daily Record. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  2. ↑ "Ministerial appointments: September 2025". GOV.UK. 6 September 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "Politics latest: Three ministers resign as Keir Starmer faces calls to quit". Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Top Scots surgeon's Labour MP bid after years of Tory NHS damage and SNP shortcomings". Daily Record. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Political Theatre: Zubir Ahmed on swapping the operating table for the House of Commons". 19 September 2025.
  6. ↑ "Dr Zubir Ahmed for Glasgow Pollok". Crowdfunder. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Sarwar denies 'stitch-up' as schoolmate becomes Labour candidate". The Herald. 15 February 2023.
  8. ↑ Green, Daniel (27 June 2024). "Meet NHS doctor Zubir Ahmed, fighting one of Scotland's tightest marginals". LabourList. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Zubir Ahmed". Policy Mogul. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  10. 1 2 Massie, John Boothman, Alex (26 July 2024). "Scottish Labour MPs take first steps on ministerial ladder". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 31 July 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Courea, Eleni (5 June 2024). "Rising stars who could play a big part in a Labour government". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "Election 2024 > Glasgow South West results". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  13. ↑ "Zubir Ahmed, Dr – EveryDoctor's campaign against privatisation of the NHS". privatisation.everydoctor.org.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Sparrow, Andrew (12 May 2026). "Fourth Labour MP quits as minister and calls for Starmer to step down – UK politics live". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  15. ↑ ""The fightback needs to start now": Labour's battle in Glasgow". LabourList. 5 May 2021.
  16. ↑ "Dr Zubir Ahmed for Glasgow Pollok". Crowdfunder UK. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
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