Artist hits out at Tories after party ‘uses his illustration of Burnham without permission’

Artist hits out at Tories after party ‘uses his illustration of Burnham without permission’ Illustrator Stanley Chow claimed the Conservatives ‘haven’t done their due diligence’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A row has broken out at the Conservative Party Conference after an artist accused the party of using one of his illustrations without permission. Stanley Chow claimed that the Tories used one of his illustrations of Andy Burnham for their merchandise, printing it on a water bottle with the slogan “bottler Burnham” above it. Below the image of the prime minister is a caption that reads: “0 per cent strength”, adding: “Bottled under pressure from Badenoch”. In an Instagram post, Mr Chow said: "It seems like [The Conservatives] have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party... regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it's still copyright infringement”. He added: "I'll be seeking legal advice.” Speaking about the alleged copyright infringement, Mr Chow told The Independent: “Someone like the Tory party shouldn't be infringing on someone's copyright. They should know better. They’ve not done their due diligence.” The illustrator, who said he has emailed the party, said he would “love to see an apology”. “I probably will send them an invoice and see what happens. But ultimately a letter of apology at least or a public apology would be great,” he said. "I want to represent other artists who are in a similar situation, especially in the age of AI and the current economic climate we’re in.” A Conservative Party source dismissed the claims as “nonsense”, insisting the drawing was “done by our designers”. But four days before the conference began, Mr Chow had posted a very similar illustration to the one used on the bottle to his Instagram page. Alongside the water bottle, the Tories were also handing out sweets with the same illustration on it, with ‘Andy Panders’ People Pleaser Pick N Mix’ written underneath. In addition, the party gave out an envelope addressed to Nigel Farage with a “from Thailand” stamp on it and a warning sign that read: “Contains funny money” - a dig at the Reform leader over the criticism his party has faced for its finances. A major donations scandal completely overshadowed Mr Farage's party conference in Birmingham last month, as allegations that the party arranged illegal donations led to the resignation of his chief of staff and longtime aide Dan Jukes, as well as policy director James Orr. The Conservative Party’s annual conference has also attracted attention after its publicity team produced a full 87ft reworking of the Bayeux Tapestry, detailing the last two years of Labour’s time in office. The artwork depicts what the Tories see as Labour policy failures, including on migrations, the early release of hundreds of prisoners and high taxes. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] ECONOMY STRONGER COUNTRY STRONGER MONTENEGRO Nigel Farage Millsank Tower London CONTAINS FUNNY MONEY BOTTLER BURNHAM 0%STRENGTH The Birmingham Tapestry Ticket 4-7October 2026 Exhibition Hall, ICC COMEI