Zubir Ahmed
British politician and doctor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zubir Ahmed (born 1980 or 1981)[1] is a British 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]
Zubir Ahmed | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety | |
| In office 6 September 2025 – 12 May 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | TBC |
| Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Stephens |
| Majority | 3,285 (9.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 1981 (age 44) Glasgow, Scotland |
| Party | Labour |
| Education | Hutchesons' Grammar School |
| University of Glasgow (MB ChB) University College London (MSc) King's College London (PhD) University of Strathclyde (MBA) | |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | Official website |
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 privately educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, where he was a contemporary of Anas Sarwar and Humza Yousaf.[5][4] He received a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Glasgow in 2005, where he studied alongside Sarwar once again.[6]
He was awarded a Master of Science in healthcare from University College London in 2012, did a research fellowship in transplantation at King's College London in 2019, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Strathclyde in 2020.
Ahmed was a transplant and vascular surgeon in Glasgow and volunteered in Pakistan.[7][4] He has been a fellow of the European Board of Surgery and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.[8] Following his election to Parliament, he continued to practise to maintain his medical licence.[9]
Political career
Ahmed joined the Labour Party as a teenager, and decided to stand for office during the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] 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.[6]
Ahmed was elected as Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West at the 2024 general election, defeating SNP incumbent Chris Stephens.[11] He was appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, several weeks after his election.[9]
Ahmed received a £10,000 donation from the think tank Labour Together.[12]
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.[13]
Personal life
Ahmed lives in Glasgow South West with his family.[14]
