Natasha Asghar Explained

Natasha Asghar
Honorific-Suffix:MS
Birth Date:October 1983 [1]
Birth Place:Newport, Wales
Office:Shadow Minister for Transport
Leader:Andrew RT Davies
Predecessor:Russell George
Termstart:27 May 2021
Office2:Member of the Senedd
for South Wales East
Termstart2:8 May 2021
Party:Welsh Conservatives
Otherparty:Plaid Cymru (until 2009)
Nationality:British

Natasha Asghar is a Welsh Conservative Party politician has served as Member of the Senedd for the South Wales East region and Shadow Minister for Transport since 2021. 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] She was hired as a member of his support staff in the Senedd in 2010.

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

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.[12] Shortly after she was appointed Shadow Minister for Transport.[13]

As Shadow Transport Minister, she supported the creation of an All Wales Travel Card similar to the Oyster card in London.[14] She also led the Welsh Conservative's approach to criticising the reduction of 30mph speed limit zones to 20 miles per hour.[15] In May 2024, it was announced Asghar was under review by the Senedd Standards Commissioner for her description of the 20mph limit as "blanket".[16]

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.[17] She announced her decision via a video on Twitter. She had previously been a London resident for 20 years before moving to Wales.[18] On 12 May 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.[19]

Background

She is the daughter of the late Conservative assembly member Mohammad Asghar. She is of Pakistani descent.[20] 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.[21] [22]

In May 2021, Asghar was highlighted as one of British Vogue's "5 Forces For Change".[23] She was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women in December 2021.[24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NATASH ASGHAR AKA NIKKI NERU Ltd people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK .
  2. Web site: 20 January 2020. Natasha Asghar to stand for Welsh Conservatives in Senedd Elections. 8 May 2021. Caerphilly Observer.
  3. Web site: Young Candidates . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070722202032/http://www.youngwales.plaidcymru.org/content.php?nID=462;lID=1 . 2007-07-22 . youngwales.plaidcymru.org.
  4. Web site: Electoral Office of Wales . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924070802/http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/objview.asp?Language=&object_id=4461 . 24 September 2015 . 27 February 2014 . dmy-all.
  5. News: 2009-12-08 . Plaid AM defects to Conservatives . 2024-08-12 . en-GB.
  6. Web site: The Conservative Party | People | Welsh Assembly Members | Mohammad Asghar AM . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111020025141/http://www.conservatives.com/People/Welsh_Assembly_Members/Asghar_Mohammad.aspx . 20 October 2011 . dmy-all.
  7. Web site: 2009-12-09 . Why I'm quitting Plaid for the Tories . 2024-08-12 . South Wales Argus . en.
  8. Web site: Shipton . Martin . 2009-12-10 . Plaid AM Mohammad Asghar defected to Tories after being told he could not employ his daughter as press officer . 2024-08-12 . Wales Online . en.
  9. Web site: Shipton . Martin . 2010-01-26 . Daughter of AM who left Plaid to join the Tories is now on his staff . 2024-01-09 . Wales Online . en.
  10. Web site: BBC News - Election 2011 - Wales - Torfaen. 2021-12-03. BBC News. en-GB.
  11. Web site: Natasha Asghar - Candidate for South Wales East in Senedd Cymru elections (Regions). 9 May 2021. Democracy Club Candidates.
  12. Web site: 8 May 2021 . Natasha Asghar becomes first female Senedd member from a BAME background . 8 May 2021 . ITV News.
  13. Web site: Owen . Cathy . 2021-05-27 . Tory MSs who drank in Senedd during alcohol ban get top roles . 2024-08-12 . Wales Online . en.
  14. Web site: Asghar welcomes positive response to her calls for an All-Wales Travel Card . https://web.archive.org/web/20211111102333/https://www.natashaasghar.wales/news/asghar-welcomes-positive-response-her-calls-all-wales-travel-card . 2021-11-11 . Natasha Asghar MS . en.
  15. News: 2024-03-20 . 20mph: Transport minister accuses Tory of encouraging hate . 2024-08-19 . BBC News . en-GB.
  16. Web site: Price . Emily . 2024-05-22 . Second Tory MS under investigation by Senedd Standards Commissioner . 2024-08-19 . Nation.Cymru . en-GB.
  17. 1660686909343973381 . nasghar . 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. . 2023-05-22 . en . Twitter.
  18. Web site: 2023-05-22 . Prominent Welsh Tory announces bid to become the Mayor of London . 2023-05-22 . South Wales Argus . en.
  19. News: 2023-06-12 . London mayor: Welsh Conservative Natasha Asghar's bid fails . 2024-08-12 . BBC News . en-GB.
  20. Web site: 2021-01-20. Natasha Asghar to stand for Welsh Conservatives in Senedd Elections. 2021-05-08. Caerphilly Observer. en-GB.
  21. Web site: Asghar . Natasha . LinkedIn Page with Educational and Professional background . 2024-08-20 . LinkedIn Page.
  22. Web site: About Natasha Asghar/Mwy am Natasha Asghar . 2021-11-11 . Natasha Asghar MS . en.
  23. Web site: Mukhtar . Amel . 30 May 2021 . 5 Forces For Change That Made Waves In May . 11 November 2021 . British Vogue . en-GB.
  24. News: 2021-12-07 . BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year? . 2021-12-07 . BBC News . en-GB.

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