Natasha Asghar

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Natasha Asghar
MS
Natasha Asghar in 2021
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 December 2024
LeaderDarren Millar
Preceded byTom Giffard
Shadow Minister for Transport
In office
27 May 2021 – 5 December 2024
LeaderAndrew RT Davies
Preceded byRussell George
Succeeded byPeter Fox
Member of the Senedd
for South Wales East
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 May 2021
Personal details
BornOctober 1983 (age 41) [1]
Newport, Wales
NationalityBritish
Political partyWelsh Conservatives
Other political
affiliations		Plaid Cymru (until 2009)

Natasha Asghar (born October 1983) is a Welsh Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of the Senedd for the South Wales East region since 2021, and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education since December 2024. Her father Mohammad Asghar represented the same constituency until his death in 2020.[2] She is the first female ethnic minority member of the Senedd. She stood for the Conservative Party's nomination for Mayor of London in the 2024 mayoral election, but was not shortlisted.

Political career

Asghar stood as a Plaid Cymru candidate in the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election in Blaenau Gwent[3] and for the Wales seat in the 2009 European elections.[4]

She joined Conservative party on 8 December 2009 at the same time as her father, Mohammad Asghar.[5][6] She said “For me, family is everything. I believe in my father. Wherever he goes I will follow.’’[7] At the time of Mohammad Asghar's defection, it was alleged that he left in part due to the party barring him from hiring her.[8][9][better source needed] She was hired as a member of his support staff in the Senedd in 2010.[9]

She unsuccessfully contested Torfaen at the 2011 National Assembly for Wales election[10] and Newport East at the 2015 and 2017 UK Parliament elections as a Conservative.[11]

On 22 May 2023, Asghar announced that she would be standing for the Conservative Party's nomination for Mayor of London ahead of the 2024 London mayoral election.[12] She announced her decision via a video on Twitter. She had previously been a London resident for 20 years before moving to Wales.[13] On 12 June it was announced that her bid to become a potential candidate for the London mayoralty had failed when her name did not appear on the party's shortlist of three.[14]

Senedd

She was elected to the Senedd at the 2021 Senedd election to represent South Wales East. She became the first female ethnic minority candidate to be elected as an MS.[15] Shortly after she was appointed Shadow Minister for Transport.[16]

As Shadow Transport Minister, she supported the creation of an All Wales Travel Card similar to the Oyster card in London.[17] She also led the Welsh Conservative's approach to criticising the reduction of 30mph speed limit zones to 20 miles per hour.[18] In May 2024, it was announced Asghar was under review by the Senedd Standards Commissioner for her description of the 20mph limit as "blanket".[19] In September 2024, the Senedd Standards Commissioner Douglas Bain stated that this was a breach of the Senedd's code of conduct.[20][21] Asghar stated she would "make absolutely no apology" for her description of the policy.[20] On 25 September, Asghar was formally reprimanded by the Senedd authorities for calling Wales' 20 mph speed limit a "blanket" policy on social media, while signing off a report advising her party to refrain from using the term.[22] In October 2024, she posted images of herself attending a protest against the 20mph policy on the steps of the Senedd, which involved heavy use of blankets, and allegedly strangled an effigy of Lee Waters, the Minister behind the policy.[23] When asked if this was a protest against her censure, she said “I’m hoping now we’re in winter, blankets will be a regular feature at these important gatherings.”[23]

After Andrew RT Davies resigned as Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and was replaced by Darren Millar, Asghar was reshuffled to the role of Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education.[24]

Background

She is the daughter of the late Conservative assembly member Mohammad Asghar. She is of Pakistani descent.[25] Asghar was privately educated at Rougemont School in Newport, she went on to hold a BA in Politics and Social Policy and a Masters in Contemporary British Policy and Media from the University of London.[26][27]

In May 2021, Asghar was highlighted as one of British Vogue's "5 Forces For Change".[28] She was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women in December 2021.[29]

References

  1. ^ "NATASH ASGHAR AKA NIKKI NERU Ltd people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK".
  2. ^ "Natasha Asghar to stand for Welsh Conservatives in Senedd Elections". Caerphilly Observer. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Young Candidates". youngwales.plaidcymru.org. Archived from the original on 22 July 2007.
  4. ^ "Electoral Office of Wales". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Plaid AM defects to Conservatives". BBC News. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  6. ^ "The Conservative Party | People | Welsh Assembly Members | Mohammad Asghar AM". Archived from the original on 20 October 2011.
  7. ^ "Why I'm quitting Plaid for the Tories". South Wales Argus. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  8. ^ Shipton, Martin (10 December 2009). "Plaid AM Mohammad Asghar defected to Tories after being told he could not employ his daughter as press officer". Wales Online. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b Shipton, Martin (26 January 2010). "Daughter of AM who left Plaid to join the Tories is now on his staff". Wales Online. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  10. ^ "BBC News - Election 2011 - Wales - Torfaen". BBC News. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Natasha Asghar - Candidate for South Wales East in Senedd Cymru elections (Regions)". Democracy Club Candidates. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  12. ^ @nasghar (22 May 2023). "🚨 I've applied to become the @Conservatives Mayor of #London candidate. 🥀 For 2 years I have been fighting against Labour's policies in Wales - and now it's time to take the fight to London. 👇 It's time for change and I know I can be the breath of fresh air Londoners need" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 May 2023 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Prominent Welsh Tory announces bid to become the Mayor of London". South Wales Argus. 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  14. ^ "London mayor: Welsh Conservative Natasha Asghar's bid fails". BBC News. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Natasha Asghar becomes first female Senedd member from a BAME background". ITV News. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  16. ^ Owen, Cathy (27 May 2021). "Tory MSs who drank in Senedd during alcohol ban get top roles". Wales Online. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Asghar welcomes positive response to her calls for an All-Wales Travel Card". Natasha Asghar MS. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021.
  18. ^ "20mph: Transport minister accuses Tory of encouraging hate". BBC News. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  19. ^ Price, Emily (22 May 2024). "Second Tory MS under investigation by Senedd Standards Commissioner". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  20. ^ a b Price, Emily (18 September 2024). "Natasha Asghar breached code of conduct with 'blanket' description of 20mph speed limit". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Standards of Conduct Committee - Fourteenth report to the Sixth Senedd under Standing Order 22.9" (PDF). senedd.wales. September 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  22. ^ "Senedd member told off for calling 20mph a 'blanket' limit". BBC News. BBC. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  23. ^ a b Price, Emily (19 November 2024). "Natasha Asghar poses with 'blanket' and effigy of Lee Waters following censure". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  24. ^ "New Welsh Conservatives leader Darren Millar MS announces shadow cabinet". ITV News. 12 December 2024. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  25. ^ "Natasha Asghar to stand for Welsh Conservatives in Senedd Elections". Caerphilly Observer. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  26. ^ Asghar, Natasha. "LinkedIn Page with Educational and Professional background". LinkedIn Page. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  27. ^ "About Natasha Asghar/Mwy am Natasha Asghar". Natasha Asghar MS. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  28. ^ Mukhtar, Amel (30 May 2021). "5 Forces For Change That Made Waves In May". British Vogue. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  29. ^ "BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
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