Artist seeks legal advice after Tories use his Burnham portrait without permission

Water bottles handed to media

Conference attendees received water bottles featuring the image with slogans like Bottler Burnham. The party stated these items were not for sale and were given only to attending journalists. Chow claims the group did not ask for permission before distributing the merchandise.

Artist expresses anger over use

Chow described the action as childish and confirmed he is consulting lawyers regarding copyright infringement. He noted that the image was originally created for Burnham's 2021 mayoral campaign in Greater Manchester. The illustrator said he would like to receive an apology from the party at some point.

Reform UK previously used image

The artist also stated that Reform UK infringed his copyright by using the portrait in social media posts earlier this year. A spokesman for that group said they removed those posts without admitting liability. Chow believes both parties are ignoring basic copyright rules regardless of political allegiance.