UK Lawmaker Wins Seat Despite Not Being Citizen

The election of Scottish parliamentarian Q Manivannan has reignited debate over whether non-citizens should be allowed to run for office in Britain, after the Green politician won a seat while residing in the country on a temporary student visa.

Manivannan, a biological male born Srivatsan Manivannan who later took the name Q, was elected as a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) on the Edinburgh and Lothians East regional list. In the second ballot for elections to Holyrood, the Scottish parliament, voters do not vote for a candidate but for a party, which supplies a list of candidates. The region is among the Greens’ strongest electoral bases, meaning it was enough for Manivannan to be on the list to get elected.

His success immediately led to outcry among opposition parties who say he should not have been put forward. The Green Party has defended their candidate from what they call “disgusting” attacks.

Manivannan came to Scotland in 2021 on a student visa to study international relations at the University of St Andrews. He has worked as a community organizer, adviser and teacher with the United Nations, trade unions and human rights groups.

His current immigration status expires at the end of this year, but he is applying for a graduate visa that would extend his stay for up to three years. Experts say 99% of such visa applications are successful.

The Tamil Nadu native has also applied for a global talent visa, which would extend his stay up to five years. However, this is harder to attain.

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Farcical Scottish Election

The Scotland Act states that an MSP must have leave to remain in the UK in order to hold office at Holyrood. Manivannan would therefore be disqualified from parliament if he failed to secure a new visa.

Some observers have nevertheless speculated about whether arrangements could be made allowing him to continue representing his Edinburgh constituents remotely from India. Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay described the situation as a “farce”.

Leading political figures have criticized Manivannan’s election, with former Westminster leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) Ian Blackford accusing the Greens of “treating the electorate with contempt“ by selecting a candidate on a temporary visa.

Blackford – now a member of the Ethics and Integrity Commission, which aims to uphold standards in UK public life – told The Times that “selecting such a candidate undermines trust in politics“.

Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr claimed the Greens had “shown immense disrespect to the Scottish electorate“ by selecting Manivannan. Kerr was one of a number of conservative MSPs who voted in favor of the 2024 rule change that permitted the Indian national’s election, admitting in an interview with the BBC he had not considered the full implications of the bill.

Until 2024, foreign nationals were only eligible to stand for election to Holyrood if they had indefinite leave to remain – an immigration status allowing them to live and work in the UK in perpetuity.

In 2024, the Scottish Parliament unanimously voted to extend election candidacy rights to non-UK citizens with limited leave to remain, meaning those on temporary visas.

Green co-leader Ross Greer accused opponents of “nasty and unseemly“ attacks, calling them “disgusting”.

He admitted in an interview with the BBC that while some arrangements may have to be “slightly different“ for Manivannan, they would be “laser-focused“ on serving constituents.

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South Asians Overrepresented in Parliament

The Indian citizen adds to the growing number of South Asian politicians in the Scottish parliament. Politicians of South Asian background were already overrepresented in Holyrood, with the percentage of politicians of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage higher than that of their respective populations in the UK.

A video of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sawar caused some controversy when it circulated social media last year. The video showed Sawar speaking at a 2022 gathering celebrating the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence, telling the audience “we will only truly get real power” by “having more Pakistanis and South Asians sitting in the corridors of power making the decisions”.

He added that the day when South Asian communities get to lead political parties and countries “is now upon us”.

The election of Manivannan also comes as debate continues across Europe about the possibility of extending voting rights to non-citizens, with some politicians – such as the left-wing Die Linke in Germany – arguing that it promotes integration.

In Scotland, you may vote in elections to its devolved parliament – which has significant powers over education, health and the economy – if you reside in Scotland and you are a UK citizen or a foreign national who is legally in the UK.

After his election, Manivannan told the BBC he was proud of his heritage and added he would be a voice for migrants and “people on visas”, who he claims are “often shut out of our national debate“.

Some 14 European states, including Belgium, Denmark and Sweden, allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, whereas others, like Austria, Germany, and France, do not, according to Brussels-based think tank the Migration Policy Group.