# Scottish Tories challenge Holyrood parties to rule out standing candidates who have no right to stay in the UK long term ahead of local elections - URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/scottish-tories-challenge-holyrood-parties-to-rule-out-standing-candidates-who-have-no-right-to-stay-in-the-uk-long-term-ahead-of-local-elections/ - Published: 2026-11-13T19:12:34+00:00 - Updated: 2026-11-13T19:21:04+00:00 - Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right) - Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16291025/Scottish-Tories-challenge-Holyrood-parties-rule-standing-candidates-no-right-stay-UK-long-term-ahead-local-elections.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 - Topics: Elections, Politics, UK, World ## Key points - Findlay wants parties to restrict local candidates to permanent residents or citizens. - A proposed bill is unlikely to affect next May’s council elections. - Scotland will elect 1,226 councillors across 32 councils. ## Summary Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has challenged other parties to promise that candidates in next May’s council elections will be British citizens or have indefinite leave to remain. He argues that people without the right to stay in the UK permanently should not help set council tax or decide local service priorities, and warns that hostile states could exploit the rules. The challenge follows the election of Green MSP Q Manivannan, who was elected while holding a temporary student visa and later received a three-year graduate visa. Conservative MSP Tim Eagle has proposed legislation to restrict who can stand for election, but it is unlikely to take effect before the local polls. All 1,226 seats across Scotland’s 32 councils are due to be contested on 7 May; the SNP has declined to review the current rules, while a Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson said candidate details would come later. --- Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.