TORY Senedd Member Natasha Asghar has responded to criticism over her bid to run for London Mayor.

Ms Asghar, Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales East, has announced she will not resign from the Senedd while she campaigns to become London mayor, and will continue to serve her constituency to ‘the best of her ability.’

Hefin David, MS for Caerphilly, expressed concerns about Ms Asghar's bid, saying he believes it reflects “how little the Conservative Party is committed to Wales”.

Mr David said he believes that “representing your country in your national parliament is a great honour, not a stepping stone to other things”

Alun Davies, MS for Blaenau Gwent, strongly criticised Natasha Asghar's mayoral bid, deeming it "extraordinarily self-indulgent."

In response Ms Asghar said, “these are the last two people on earth I would take career advice – or any other form of advice - from.”

Ms Asghar said: “It’s flattering to see both Alun Davies and Hefin David take such a keen interest in what I am doing. However, these are the last two people on earth I would take career advice – or any other form of advice - from. 

“To suggest that I am turning my back on my constituents is simply preposterous. My office is open every day and constituents can get in touch with me any time and I will do my best to help them in any way I can. 

“I am regularly stepping in to help Alun’s constituents who have turned to me with their problems because they have more success with me than their constituency Member of the Senedd. 

“Perhaps, the MS for Blaenau Gwent should spend a little more time focusing on his constituents instead of being drawn into political point scoring. 

“Rest assured, I will continue to serve the people of South East Wales to the best of my ability and it’s very much business as usual.”

Ms Asghar took to social media to share her aspirations for the London mayor role, releasing a video where she can be seen walking down a London street.

In the video, she acknowledges the initial surprise her decision may cause, given her status as an elected representative from Wales.

However, Ms Asghar highlights that she has resided in London for an equal number of years as she has lived in Wales, positioning herself as a candidate with a unique perspective and a deep understanding of both regions.

Ms Asghar has criticised the incumbent mayor, Sadiq Khan, for what she perceives as a neglect of the city, vowing to bring about meaningful change if elected.

She believes that her passion, determination, and understanding of the needs of both regions make her a suitable candidate to lead London and address its pressing challenges.

She said: “After a lot of deliberating and gentle nudging from residents across London, I have decided to throw my hat into the ring to become the Conservative candidate for next year’s Mayor of London elections.

“I have spent the best part of two years fighting against Labour in Wales as the country’s shadow Transport Minister and now I am ready to take the fight to London.

“London is a fantastic place to live, visit and work – it’s somewhere we should be proud to call home – but sadly Sadiq Khan has neglected our city for far too long and that’s got to change.”

Editor's note: The headline of this article has been amended. It originally stated Natasha Asghar had said the would not resign from the Senedd if elected London Mayor, when in fact she said she would not resign while campaigning to become London Mayor. We are happy to put this right.