Zubir Ahmed

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
EducationHutchesons' Grammar School
University of Glasgow (MB ChB)
University College London (MSc)
King's College London (PhD)
University of Strathclyde (MBA)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • surgeon
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

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

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

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

References

  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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