A newly elected Scottish Greens MSP faces the possibility of being unable to complete a full parliamentary term due to their immigration status, the party's co-leader has acknowledged.
Visa Concerns for New MSP
Gillian Mackay confirmed that Q Manivannan, elected as an MSP for the Edinburgh and Lothian East region, will need to secure a new visa to serve a full term at Holyrood. When questioned about the risk of the new MSP being unable to serve a full term, Mackay stated that she believed it was 'likely' that a visa would be granted.
The Mail revealed earlier this month that Mr Manivannan, who describes himself as a 'queer Tamil immigrant', had appealed to colleagues for financial support to raise £2,089 to apply for a graduate route visa. This would then allow time to save for the £5,047 cost of applying for a global talent visa.
Co-Leader's Statement
Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Ms Mackay said: 'There will have to be a renewal of Q's visa. The Parliament specifically passed legislation to allow people like Q to be able to stand and be MSPs, that's a process that they will have to complete over the session of Parliament.'
When asked if there was a risk that the Home Office would refuse the application and that the MSP would not be able to see out the parliamentary session, she said: 'I don't think it's likely that that will happen but it is a process that will have to be completed over the session of parliament and anything that we can do to support Q through that we will.'
Election Victory Speech
Upon his election at the Edinburgh count, Mr Manivannan told cheering supporters: 'My name is Q Manivannan, I am a transgender Tamil immigrant, my pronouns are they/them. I am to some in this country everything that the hateful despise, and I am standing here as your MSP now with care. They say politics is the art of the possible. A politics of care expands what is possible for everyone left behind, pushed out or never invited in.'
Controversial Social Media Activity
According to reports in the Telegraph, Mr Manivannan boasted about 'unfollowing' Auschwitz on social media and supported the vandalism of posters of Israeli hostages. The Scottish Greens said the 'unfollowing' comment was a response to statements by the museum which were viewed as downplaying the suffering in Gaza.
Discussing the issue on the BBC's The Sunday Show, Thomas Kerr, deputy leader of Reform UK in Scotland, said: 'I welcome the two new MSPs who have been elected, I do think there's questions around the citizenship of one, that's fine. I think the reason he shouldn't be in parliament is nothing to do with where he has came from, it's because he bluntly was quite happy to have unfollowed the Auschwitz museum and boasted about the idea of vandalising hostage posters for the October 7 attacks.'
Lord Malcolm Offord, the Scottish leader of Reform UK, later said: 'It was very reckless of the Scottish Greens to put Dr Q Manivannan's immigration status at risk like this. I'm sure they'll now back a bill to stop temporary residents standing for the Scottish Parliament in future, to prevent such careless oversights happening again?'
