‘Tory propaganda’ published at public expense

Martin Shipton

Senedd officials have allowed a Tory MS to publish at public expense a leaflet that carries Conservative Party branding and an item that attacks the Labour UK Government.

The front of the four-page leaflet carries the bilingual Welsh Conservative logo top left, with the Senedd’s logo top right.

At the bottom of the page is a statement which says: “The cost of this publication has been paid for by the Senedd Commission using public funds.”

Pensioners

The top of the back page of the four-page leaflet carries an item headed: “Standing up for our pensioners”. It reads: “Pensioners across my region of South Wales East have been punished by the UK Government’s decision to scrap vital winter fuel payments.

“This decision has left many facing the difficult decision between eating and heating.

“In the Welsh Parliament, my Welsh Conservative colleagues and I have been calling on the Welsh Government to create a Welsh Winter Fuel fund to support our pensioners.”

A civil servant who wishes to remain anonymous wrote to Nation.Cymru stating: “A few weeks ago, I received a copy of Natasha Asghar’s ‘Annual Update’ for Summer 2025. The publication is clearly branded with both the Welsh Parliament/Senedd logo and the Welsh Conservatives’ party logo. It also explicitly states that it was ‘paid for by the Senedd Commission using public funds’.

“As you will know, the rules around Commission-funded publications are clear: these should be strictly non-partisan, designed to update constituents on parliamentary work, and must not be used for party-political promotion. The inclusion of a party logo in a publicly funded leaflet appears to me to be a misuse of public money and a breach of the standards expected of Members of the Senedd.

“At best, this looks like a blurred line between parliamentary communication and party electioneering. At worst, it could be seen as an abuse of incumbency and an attempt to funnel public resources into partisan advantage.”

Candidate selection

The writer went on to refer to a Nation.Cymru article published last week in which fellow Tories accused Ms Asghar – currently a regional MS for South Wales East – of recruiting new party members to manipulate candidate selection in the new “super-constituency” of Casnewydd Islwyn.

The civil servant continued: “Taken together with the issues raised in your article, I believe this deserves closer scrutiny as it suggests a wider pattern of behaviour that undermines public confidence in the integrity of the Senedd

“As a civil servant, I am unwilling to submit a complaint to the Senedd Commission for fear of reprisals.”

We put the concerns to Ms Asghar and asked her how much it had cost to produce the leaflet.

A spokesperson for the MS responded: “The leaflet in question was approved by the Senedd before being sent to print. Your questions might be better directed to the Senedd Commission.”

We asked the Senedd Commission to explain its decision.

A spokesperson said: “Information about the allowance available to Members and the rules surrounding the use of resources are set out in two documents:.

1 The Independent Remuneration Board’s Determination on Members’ Pay and Allowances includes an Office and Constituent Liaison Fund, which enables Members to claim, amongst other things, for reimbursement of all reasonable costs relating to engaging with constituents.

2 The Rules and Guidance on the Use of Senedd Resources apply to claims under the Office and Constituent Liaison Fund.

Please note the rules relevant to your enquiry:

Senedd resources must not be used “for party political activity or for any purpose other than the discharge of their duties as a Member”.

any communications materials “must state clearly that they are funded by the Senedd Commission from public funds”; and

“a single use of an unobtrusive party or political group logo on engagement materials is permitted”.

“The Senedd Commission provides advice to Members on compliance with the Rules, and it is each Member’s responsibility to ensure they understand and comply with the principles.

“Complaints about the alleged misuse of Commission resources may be made to the Senedd Commissioner for Standards.”

A political source said: “No matter what you think about the UK Government’s decision on winter fuel payments, the point made by Natasha Asghar is clearly party political. The leaflet should have been paid for not by the Senedd, but by the Conservative Party.”

The cost of producing the leaflet has not been disclosed.