Q Manivannan, a trans Tamil-Indian immigrant, has made history by becoming the first person elected to the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) without a permanent visa to stay in the United Kingdom. Manivannan, who identifies as non-binary, secured a seat as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) on the Edinburgh & Lothians East list for the pro-independence Scottish Greens.
Funding Appeal and Visa Status
The former PhD student has appealed to colleagues for £2,089 in funding to obtain a temporary graduate visa. This visa would grant the anthropologist and poet an additional three years to live and work in the UK, while also receiving a taxpayer-funded salary of £77,711 as an MSP.
Rule Changes Enabled Candidacy
Manivannan, who describes themselves as a "queer Tamil immigrant," was only able to stand for election after the Scottish National Party (SNP) ministers relaxed the eligibility criteria for Holyrood candidates. Previously, only foreign nationals with indefinite leave to remain could stand. However, in 2025, the SNP government introduced legislation allowing candidates with any type of leave, such as a short-term study visa, to qualify.
Background and Connection to Tamil Nadu
Born in the Tamil Nadu region of southern India, Manivannan has expressed a strong connection to the area's "significant history of resistance, of social justice, of ecological justice, being inextricable from social justice." After completing an undergraduate degree in Delhi, Manivannan moved to Scotland in 2021 to pursue a PhD in international relations at the University of St Andrews.
Political Promises and Backlash
While Manivannan has promised a "politics of care," their election has not been universally welcomed. The Migration Watch group tweeted criticism, stating, "Britain is almost unique in allowing Commonwealth nationals not just the right to vote in our elections, but also to stand as candidates. Indian migrant Dr Q Manivannan, who arrived in Britain on a student visa, is now a politician in Scotland pushing for the break-up of Britain."
Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) expressed strong reactions. One user wrote, "I heard Britain sent more 'immigrants' to Scotland than other parts of the UK. It makes sense now. Scottish law lets them easily overwhelm & out-vote native Scots. Replacement theory in action. Scots lost their country." Another claimed, "This is the definition of insanity. Since Scotland's laws allow this, there will be many more to come! Pretty soon Scotland will be taken over." A third user asked, "Logic in modern life does not come into play. Not one of the immigrants standing should be anywhere near the UK never mind involved in our politics. I see it in Ireland and in America. Why????"
Controversial Past Posts
Backlash against Manivannan also stems from their history of controversial social media posts. In one post, Manivannan bragged about "unfollowing" Auschwitz on social media and supported the vandalism of posters of Israeli hostages taken on October 7. In a February 2023 post, they wrote "Goddamn White people," and in another from September of the same year, they wrote, "Ah, white people at it again."
