Charity leader and parliamentary candidate for the Harborough area gets MBE in the New Year Honours list

Zuffar Haq (right) with Lib Dem leader Vince Cable

Health campaigner, charity boss and politician Zuffar Haq has been made an MBE in the New Year's honours list.

Zuffar, who lives in Oadby, has stood three times as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Harborough, Oadby and Wigston constituency.

His best result was in 2010 when he came second, with 31 per cent of the vote.

He said he was “honoured and humbled” to receive the award.

Zuffar is well-known as a health campaigner, and runs a medical aid charity - International Medical Aid Appeal.

The charity sends unwanted medical equipment from Britain to third world countries.

He said it was inspired by spending so much time in Leicestershire hospitals with his first child, who was born with cerebral palsy, and died aged nine.

He has held various roles as a health campaigner, including being Chairman of the Leicester Patients Group.

He was also part of the group which successfully fought to keep children’s heart surgery at Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital.