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Conservative Senedd Member Natasha Asghar has announced she is running to become the next Mayor of London.

Ms Asghar, who represents the South Wales East region, was first elected to the Senedd in 2021 and is currently her party’s shadow minister for transport and technology.

She is vying to become the Conservative Party candidate for next year’s mayoral elections and take on Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan.

Ms Asghar said she made the decision to stand “after a lot of deliberating and gentle nudging from residents across London”.

She attacked Welsh Labour’s “backwards” policies and said she is “ready to take the fight to London”.

Ms Asghar, who was born and raised in Newport, has lived in the UK capital for 20 years. She said: “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.

“My passion for London, its people, its businesses, and its tourists, is exactly why I want to become the next Conservative Mayor of London.

“I firmly believe that I can be the breath of fresh air London so desperately needs.”

Ms Asghar said her plans, if elected, would be to restore public trust in the Met Police, tackle London’s housing crisis and stop the expansion of ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ).

However, her candidacy has drawn criticism in Wales.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats said it proved “the Conservatives see London as a bigger priority than Wales”.

A Lib Dem spokesperson added: “The people of South East Wales will rightly be confused about this move.

“Representing a community is a full-time job that requires commitment. Natasha Ashgar will need to have a serious think about where that commitment lies, in Wales or London?”