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Conservative Senedd Member Natasha Asghar has fallen short in her bid to become the next Mayor of London.

Ms Asghar, who represents the South Wales East region in the Senedd, announced she was running to become Mayor of London last month.

Ms Asghar was first elected to the Senedd in 2021 and is currently her party’s shadow minister for transport and technology.

However, she has not been included in her party’s three-person shortlist to take on Labour incumbent Saqid Khan, who is seeking a third consecutive term as Mayor.

In a statement, Ms Asghar said: “Whilst it is disappointing not to have made it further in this process, the experience has been great.

“Ambition is never something we should be ashamed of, nor should anyone shame us for it, and I knew that if I didn’t put my name forward now, it’s something I would’ve regretted for the rest of my life.

“I must say a huge thank you to all those who called, emailed, and sent messages of support from both ends of the M4, my supportive constituents for their unwavering backing and to my Conservative colleagues for their encouragement and kind words.

“As has always been the case, my constituents in South East Wales remain my number one priority and I will continue to serve them to the best of my ability.

“I very much look forward to helping them and raising their concerns and issues in the Welsh Parliament for years to come.”

Announcing her candidacy last month, Ms Asghar, who was born and raised in Newport, spoke of her connections to the UK capital, having lived there for 20 years.

However, her candidacy proved controversial 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?”