Dr Simon Opher | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament forStroud | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Siobhan Baillie |
| Majority | 11,388 (20.7%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Oxfordshire, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Education | St Mary's Hospital Medical School |
| Occupation | Member of Parliament |
| Profession | General practitioner |
| Website | https://simonopher.org/ |
Simon Joseph Opher[1]MBE MP is a BritishLabour Party politician andgeneral practitioner who has served as theMember of Parliament (MP) forStroud since the2024 general election.
Opher, originally fromOxfordshire, attended acomprehensive school before studying medicine atSt Mary's Hospital Medical School in London. Prior to becoming an MP he worked and lived in Dursley as a full-time GP for "almost exactly 29 years" with his wife, Rachel; their three children attended the localRednock School. He was awarded an MBE in 2016 for introducing and advocatingsocial prescribing (now part of NHS policy nationwide) and was instrumental in the building of theVale Community Hospital. Chairman of the Stroud Locality NHS, Opher headed theCOVID-19 vaccination scheme locally and has remained working as a GP when time permits.
In July 2022, Opher replaced former Labour MPDavid Drew as the Labourprospective parliamentary candidate forStroud. He has served as theMember of Parliament for Stroud since the 2024 general election, where he defeatedConservative incumbentSiobhan Baillie.[2][3] Opher polled 25,607 votes to Baillie's 14,219.
Opher made his maiden speech on 5 September 2024 in a debate on renewable energy. He speaks regularly in Parliament on a range of issues, particularly around health and poverty.[4]
He sits on a number of All Party Parliamentary Groups, and is Chair of the Health Group and Vice-Chair of the Net Zero Group.
In November 2024, Opher co-ordinated a group of MPs who are also medics and support assisted dying. The cross-party group called on colleagues to support legislation from Labour MPKim Leadbeater, calling on Parliament to be “brave enough to change the law in this difficult area for the benefit of patients”.[4]
Continuing his advocacy forsocial prescribing, alongsideCraic Health, Opher supported the launch of a scheme called 'Comedy-on-Prescription'. Aimed at tackling social isolation and poor mental health, Opher said in Parliament that “making people laugh can avoid the need for medication”.[5] Alongside Craic founder Lu Jackson, Opher chaired a panel discussion at the inauguralSXSW London with the comedianJonathon Pie to discuss the benefits of Comedy-on-Prescription.
Opher advocates for the safety and protection of healthcare workers in theGaza Strip. He has spoken in the House about the deliberate targeting of healthcare workers by theIsraeli Defence Forces in theGaza War.[6] In September 2025, Opher and fellow MPPeter Prinsley were denied entryinto Israel during a trip to theoccupied West Bank organised by theCouncil for Arab-British Understanding. The pair were part of a parliamentary delegation observing medical and humanitarian work being undertaken byMedical Aid for Palestinians and other organisations.[7] The British Foreign Office described the denial as "totally unacceptable and deeply concerning."[7]
Opher is chair of the charity that runsPrema Arts Centre, Vice-President of the Cotswold Canals Trust and President of UleyCricket Club.[8]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forStroud 2024–present | Incumbent |
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