Today we begin a series of interviews with Glasgow’s five new MSPs elected this year.

First, Political Correspondent STEWART PATERSON speaks to Labour MSP ANAS SARWAR on what he hopes to achieve at Holyrood.

MAY 2016 was a momentous month for the Sarwar household in Glasgow.

In the same week as Anas Sarwar was elected to Holyrood as Labour MSP for Glasgow, his wife, Furheen, gave birth to the couple’s third son.

While the family welcomed their own new arrival, Mr Sarwar was himself one of the 51 new arrivals in the Scottish Parliament.

Read more: Anas Sarwar says no he has no current leadership ambitions

Although he is no stranger to Scottish politics, having been an MP from 2010 to 2015 and Deputy Scottish Labour leader for a period, this election marks a new chapter in his political career.

Mr Sarwar said he expects to achieve more at Holyrood and is relishing the opportunity he has, appointed by Kezia Dugdale as health spokesman, to influence policy in what he says is a core Labour priority.

He said: “I’m in my dream job just now. Doing the health portfolio.

“My first job was in the NHS as a dentist. As it was put to me, the Labour Party gave birth to the NHS we are its parents , there might be other custodians, but we are still its parents and I want to see the way we do health be fit for purpose for the 21st century.”

Having been deputy leader at a young age and tipped as a future leader, he said he has no ambitions on that score just now.

He added: “I am enjoying that role and I’m pleased Kez has given me it and that’s what I’m focusing my energy on.

Read more: Anas Sarwar says no he has no current leadership ambitions

“I want to see Kez Dugdale as First Minister and me as Health Secretary.”

With a larger family the switch to Holyrood is benefiting family life for the 33 year-old who as well as the new baby has two boys aged five and seven.

While Westminster took him away from home for long periods, Holyrood is more family friendly.

He said: “The biggest difference is I get to see my kids every day. I cannot begin to describe how significant that is. For me personally as a father but generally for my children too. I’ve seen the confidence of my eldest, in particular go through the rood just having his father around because it makes a difference.”

The Scottish Parliament, being smaller and focused on devolved areas, offers greater scope for influencing positive change.

He added: “The other thing different about Holyrood is it depends on the type of personality you are, but if you want to get elected and hide for five years, it’s easier to do that at Westminster.

“But if you are like me and hyperactive and wants to get stuck in and do something and achieve something then the Scottish Parliament is a good platform to do that because we are discussing things that matter every day.

“Health is a perfect example, it’s devolved to Scottish Parliament. I get to talk about health, something close to my heart, every day.”

In his politics ‘gap year’ between losing to Alison Thewliss of the SNP in May 2015 and winning the first seat on the Glasgow list in May this year he has been busy with business, charity work as well as political campaigning.

The Sarwar family business is wholesale, supplying local shops, and he has been involved in an expansion programme.

Also charity work, both here in Glasgow, in Pakistan and in Europe has grown to a major operation.

He said: “It’s been busy. One of the things I’ve been doing is, I launched a group called Glasgow Cares. We’ve been focussing on partnership programmes and projects between the business community, individuals and existing charities.

Read more: Anas Sarwar says no he has no current leadership ambitions

“We did an ambulance appeal where we delivered two ambulances to the Greek island of Lesbos. That was a partnership with the Rangers Charity Foundation and the Celtic FC Foundation.”

At home the charity organised a Christmas appeal for local children. He added: “Another project was the toy bank appeal, to guarantee a Christmas for every child in Glasgow which was kindly supported by the Evening Times. We collected and distributed over one thousand toys to children across Glasgow.”

But politics is the real passion for someone who elected at the age of 27 and involved in major campaigning in his teens and whose involvement goes back to an even earlier age.

He said: “I’m an activist. Politics is a cause for me. It’s not a profession, it’s not a job, politics is fundamentally a cause.

“I’ve been passionate about fighting poverty fighting inequality and creating opportunity.

“I’ve been a political activist since I was a young boy whether that’s chapping doors or delivering leaflets, making phone calls, going on aid missions. I visited Palestine on an aid mission as a young boy and in 2007 delivered generators to the Gazza strip.”

Whether it’s Westminster of Holyrood he said the goal is the same, to change people’s lives for the better.

He added: “The real challenge is any parliament whether it’s the UK parliament, Scottish Parliament or council chambers, they should all be vehicles for change and places where those that are voiceless get a voice. That’s what I hope to use the next five years for to benefit Glasgow and to benefit Scotland working across party lines.”

Whether it’s at home or in Holyrood the next five years will be busy for Anas Sarwar.

NEXT WEEK: Annie Wells, Conservative MSP.