Zubir Ahmed Explained

Zubir Ahmed
Office:Member of Parliament
for Glasgow South West
Term Start:4 July 2024
Predecessor:Chris Stephens
Majority:3,285 (9.2%)
Party:Labour
Education:Hutchesons' Grammar School
Alma Mater:University of Glasgow (MB ChB)
University College London (MSc)
King's College London (PhD)
University of Strathclyde (MBA)

Zubir Ahmed (born)[1] is a Scottish Labour Party politician and surgeon serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow South West since 2024.

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.[2] His father was a taxi driver and he grew up in Govanhill, Glasgow.

Ahmed was awarded a scholarship to attend Hutchesons' Grammar School, where he was a contemporary of Anas Sarwar and Humza Yousaf.[3] He received a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Glasgow in 2005, where he studied alongside Sarwar once again.[4]

He was awarded a Master of Science in healthcare from University College London in 2012, a doctorate in transplantation from 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.[5] He has been a fellow of the European Board of Surgery and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.[6] Following his election to Parliament, he continued to practise to maintain his medical license.[7]

Political career

Ahmed joined the Labour Party as a teenager, and decided to stand for office during the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] 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.[4]

Ahmed was elected as Member of Parliament for Glasgow South West at the 2024 general election, defeating SNP incumbent Chris Stephens.[9] He was appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, several weeks after his election.

Personal life

Ahmed is a Muslim and married to a respiratory doctor, with whom he has two children.[10] [11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ferguson . John . 2023-10-22 . Top Scots surgeon's Labour MP bid after years of Tory NHS damage and SNP failure . 2024-07-31 . Daily Record . en.
  2. News: Top Scots surgeon's Labour MP bid after years of Tory NHS damage and SNP shortcomings. Daily Record. 22 October 2023. 12 July 2024.
  3. Web site: Dr Zubir Ahmed for Glasgow Pollok. Crowdfunder. 8 July 2024.
  4. News: Sarwar denies 'stitch-up' as schoolmate becomes Labour candidate . The Herald . 15 February 2023.
  5. Web site: Green . Daniel . 2024-06-27 . Meet NHS doctor Zubir Ahmed, fighting one of Scotland's tightest marginals . 2024-07-06 . LabourList . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Zubir Ahmed . 8 July 2024 . Policy Mogul.
  7. Web site: Massie . John Boothman, Alex . 2024-07-26 . Scottish Labour MPs take first steps on ministerial ladder . 2024-07-31 . www.thetimes.com . en.
  8. News: Courea . Eleni . 2024-06-05 . Rising stars who could play a big part in a Labour government . 2024-07-31 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  9. News: Election 2024 > Glasgow South West results . 5 July 2024 . BBC News.
  10. News: Labour accused of anti-left wing 'stitch-up' in candidate selection . The Herald . 13 February 2023.
  11. News: “The fightback needs to start now”: Scottish Labour’s battle in Glasgow . LabourList . 5 May 2021.