# Artist accuses Tories of using his work without permission

> Stanley Chow says the Conservative Party printed his illustration of Andy Burnham on merchandise at their conference without asking.
- Title: Artist accuses Tories of using his work without permission
- Summary: Stanley Chow says the Conservative Party printed his illustration of Andy Burnham on merchandise at their conference without asking. Artist Stanley Chow…
- Keywords: stanley chow, conservative party, andy burnham, copyright infringement, conservative party conference, merchandise, politics, news, Artist, accuses, Tories, using
- Source: The Independent — https://independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/conservative-party-conference-bottle-stanley-chow-andy-burnham-b3061474.html
- Published: 2026-10-05T12:02:36+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: stanley chow, conservative party, andy burnham, copyright infringement, conservative party conference, merchandise, politics, news
## Tories accused of copyright breach
Artist Stanley Chow claimed the Conservative Party used his illustration of Andy Burnham on water bottles and sweets at their conference without permission.
## The merchandise in question
The water bottle printed Chow's image with the slogan bottler Burnham above it. Below the image it read zero percent strength, bottled under pressure from Badenoch.
## Artist demands apology and legal action
Chow told The Independent the Tory party should know better and should have done their due diligence. He said he would seek legal advice and would love to see an apology.

> Someone like the Tory party shouldn't be infringing on someone's copyright. They should know better.
## Chow wants to help other artists
The illustrator said he would probably send the party an invoice. He wants to represent other artists in similar situations, especially given AI and the current economic climate.

> 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.
## Conservatives deny copying the work
A Conservative Party source dismissed the claims as nonsense, insisting the drawing was done by their designers. But Chow had posted a very similar illustration to Instagram four days before the conference.
## Sweets and other merchandise also featured
Alongside the water bottle, the Tories handed out sweets with the same illustration and the text Andy Panders People Pleaser Pick N Mix written underneath.
## Key takeaway

Artist Stanley Chow accused the Conservative Party of copyright infringement after they printed his illustration on water bottles and sweets at their conference without permission.