Q Manivannan Elected Member of the Scottish Parliament

Exam-focused facts from the 11 May 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Q Manivannan, an Indian-origin transgender candidate, was elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP).
Manivannan won a seat representing the Scottish Greens in the Edinburgh and Lothians East region.
Originally from Tamil Nadu, Manivannan is an anthropologist and poet who moved to Scotland in 2021 to study international relations at the University of St Andrews.
Manivannan was elected to public office without holding citizenship or permanent residency of the United Kingdom (UK).
The candidacy was enabled by a rule change by the Scottish National Party (SNP) government allowing individuals with any valid visa to stand for election.