Pretty sure the new Green msp is in breach of his student visa conditions

It's definitely not the rule. I think people are just mixing up whether they want there to be a requirement for ILR with whether there is one. But the appropriate vehicle for change is the government, and before that I suppose just make sure you don't vote for any party who has a non-settled migrant on their list.

It doesn't surprise me that Reform have someone in this position either, actually. The Greens and Reform are both growing quite fast and have had to broaden their candidate pools more quickly than would usually be the case. Wonder if any other parties have done the same?

I'm sure all the pearl clutchers will be equally aghast to learn that one of Reform's recently elected Senedd members, Joshua Kim, is also a migrant whose visa is due to expire before the end of this term.

Presumably @CurdinHenry will be submitting a complaint to the home office and police about him too?

Does it? MPs, MSPs etc do resign mid-term. He has indicated he’ll apply for a further visa once the three years on the graduate route are up. If he doesn’t get one he’ll just resign surely?

Again unless there is a rule specifically prohibiting someone for standing if they don’t have ILR, then fine, and there has been a suggestion that is the case, but if ILR isn’t needed, then Q has as much right to stand as the next person.

I don't think the Electoral Commission being able to make rules up that differ from the legislation falls under common sense, no. They should be applying the rules made by the executive. If people are pissed off about the Scottish Government allowing people with limited leave to remain to stand, that's completely fair enough but in that case their problem is with the 2025 Act being law in the first place.

I think this falls under the heading of common sense surely?

Is there a rule that says he can't be approved then? If there is then fair enough, and I'd like to read it, but if not then it isn't for the Electoral Commission as a quango to invent one.

Because he does not have the right to work for the term of the parliament.

Why shouldn't they have approved it?

Who knows?? The Electoral Commission should never have approved his candidacy in the first place.

if however his immigration status means he has to stand down, then that is a victory for the Greens who are pro- independence. They can then spend the next few years wanging on about how the wishes of the people of Edinburgh central have been ignored by the evil, nasty people in Westminster and how in the land of milk and honey in an independent Scotland this wouldn’t happen yadda yadda yadda - seen it all before.

Yep, I have just finished a PhD and I was sent a boilerplate email confirming my award, which states that "students who are currently UKVI monitored are now eligible to undertake full-time work".

As I say, showing yourself up to match the reputation that angry shouty people on the left have.

Let’s not criticise his PhD topic please. There’s plenty of academic stuff that sounds flaky to non-academics but adds to general academic discourse in a positive way. He was funded by a very competitive funder, and St Andrews is hardly a tinpot uni.

Probably passed any vetting with flying colours. His immigration status evidently doesn't preclude him performing the role, and being a bullshitter perfectly qualifies one for a political career.

According to Google he has reached the age of 30 researching the below list of highly important topics. I do hope no public money has been spent funding this crap

Unfortunately for your blood pressure, they've just spent the past 5 years securing a Doctorate in International Relations at the University of St.Andrews, funded by ESRC.

A graduate visa, as I posted before. He has just gained a PhD. He’s entitled to switch to a graduate visa and work FT for three years. Pretty stupid not to have done so beforehand, but this actually isn’t a big deal. It’s quite common, particularly with PhDs where the line between being a student and being a graduate can be a bit flexible time-wise. Which the HO recognises.

The visa really isn’t the gotcha people think it is. The story is the Scottish Gov changing the rules so people no longer needed ILR to stand.

Edited to add: I see @brownbookshelfalready posted what I said!

I mean it does sound as if he has an extraordinary talent for being full of BS, having blagged his way into becoming an MSP. He seems perfect for a life in British politics among all the other corrupt cheaters who seek the power and money of political life.

Doesn’t the Green Party vet its candidates?

According to Google he has reached the age of 30 researching the below list of highly important topics. I do hope no public money has been spent funding this crap.

Reflexive Ethnography: Investigating the role of the researcher's emotions (guilt, discomfort) and power dynamics.
Feminist Security Studies: Analyzing the politics of grief, mourning, and the body in conflict scenarios.
Art and Activism: Exploring how visual and textual mediums (collages, writing) are used to (re)make worlds affected by violence

Yes I don't see why he couldn't fund the visa costs himself! OP would appear to be barking up the wrong tree about him being in breach, and hopefully they come back to acknowledge that, but it's still cheeky to expect the party to pay.

Or he could pay from his £80,000 a year salary as an MSP?

Can Scottish politics get any more embarrassing 🙄The world must be laughing at our self sabotaging choices

More info here about work conditions for student visas.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/points-based-system-student-route/student-and-child-student-accessible#work-conditions

Student visas usually have a couple of months tacked on at the end after the official date of the course, and holders can work full time during that period. If his course has just finished and he still has valid leave to remain, he's probably in that period now?

https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student-advice/working/working-after-studies/

I guess he'll be applying for a graduate visa now. If I were him I'd pay extra for the fast track!

You don't need to mount an "argument" to dismiss total and utter shite for what it is.

The Greens should also be sanctioned.