Oops, where’s that visa

Written by

Ophelia Benson

in

John Knox turned inside out.

A new Green MSP previously posted online that they could not wait for the late Queen Elizabeth II to “kick the bucket”, it has emerged. 

They? Even the Telegraph does the “they” thing?

Iris Duane, a biological male who uses she/her pronouns, referred to the late Queen as “big lizard Lizzie” in a social media post in January 2022.

I don’t care about the anti-monarchism, it’s the “biological male” who “uses” female pronouns that I can’t be doing with. We don’t “use” the pronouns that other people refer to us by which. The correct word would be “demands” and the answer should be no.

The controversy came after it emerged a second newly elected trans Green MSP does not have a permanent visa to work in the UK.

Q Manivannan, an Indian immigrant who identifies as non-binary, was elected as an MSP on the Edinburgh & Lothians East list.

The former PhD student has appealed to colleagues for £2,089 of funding for a temporary graduate visa that would allow them to work as an MSP.

Golly. Who knew it was that easy?

Also why would colleagues want to give him £2,089?

Manivannan was elected on the Edinburgh & Lothians East list using the same proportional representation system.

The self-described “queer Tamil immigrant” was only able to stand in the election after SNP ministers loosened the rules on who could be a Holyrood candidate.

Foreigners could previously only become an MSP if they had indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Last year, the SNP government introduced legislation that meant they could qualify if they had leave of any type, such as a short-term study visa.

So he’s there to study for a short term and he runs for a job in the parliament. It seems…disconnected.

Comments

4 responses to “Oops, where’s that visa”

  1. Your Name's not Bruce? Avatar
    Your Name’s not Bruce?

    You’d think that citizenship would be the bare minimum qualification for standing as a candidate for elected government office in any country. Or at least I would. Why would anyone in government “loosen the rules” for that? Who thought that was a good idea? “Yes, let’s let foreigners stand for office here! They can learn on the job!! It’ll be fun!!!

    And what was this “candidate” thinking? That’s some nerve. Would the “queer Tamil immigrant” be happy if a Scottish-born student without visas ran for elected office in India? Would Indian law even allow this? Unlikely. I wouldn’t dream of going to another country and running for office there, without becoming a citizen and living there permanently. What’s the point if you’re not a member of the country/society/culture that you’re going to help govern? I wouldn’t consider “running for Parliament” as part of my study package while attending school overseas, or something I’d even be entitled or permitted to do.What was Manivannan thinking? And why accomodate “them”?

  2. Mike B Avatar
    Mike B

    What’s a “trans Green MSP”?

    “Used to be pink MSP”?

  3. Alan Peakall Avatar
    Alan Peakall

    I think that, historically, the absence of a citizenship restriction operated because there was, instead, a restriction to being a subject of the crown. The distinction only appeared on the legal radar when the Dublin government constituted itself the government of an Irish Republic and (at least from its own point of view) extinguished the Crown of Ireland.

    In the UK that was first addressed with ad hoc, Ireland-specific legislation relatively soon after 1949, but the same historical process was at the root of the surprisingly recent outbreak of Australian legislative eligibility cases.

    Colour me surprised that the SNP might have built on this foundation to change the rules to ensure that if aliens from England are entitled to vote in Scotland then aliens from the rest of the world (or at least those parts of it colonised by the English – “nothing to do with us”) should have the same right!

  4. Sumi Avatar
    Sumi

    I know the Scots like a wee dram, but this is getting ridiculous. Seems like they’re all aff their heids. If Manivannan’s a “former PhD student” without a graduate visa, then he’s in the country without leave. He should have started his application before graduating, but he’s still scrounging for the application fee. I’m shocked that the article dodges the issue entirely.

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