The key facts

  • The Conservative Party paid artist Stanley Chow £1,000 for using his illustration of Andy Burnham without permission
  • The party also covered an unspecified amount of the artist's legal costs
  • The portrait was placed on water bottles with which the party mocked Burnham, calling him a 'bottler'

The party agreed to pay after a lawsuit was threatened

The UK Conservative Party has agreed to pay illustrator Stanley Chow £1,000 for using his portrait of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, as well as to cover an unspecified amount of his legal costs, BBC News reports. The artist had previously said he was consulting lawyers and was ready to sue over the unauthorised use of the illustration.

How the illustration was used

The portrait of Burnham, created by Chow in 2021 and used by the politician himself on social media, was placed on water bottles that the Conservatives handed out at their party conference. In this way the party accused Burnham of being a 'bottler' — someone who puts off decisions (a pun on the English word 'bottle').

Reaction from the parties

Chow wrote on Facebook that the party had 'settled the dispute after the recent stunt — using my image without permission', adding: 'Maybe ask first… I admit I would have said no, but it would have been far cheaper for the Conservatives to hire any illustrator… I hope this is a lesson. Copyright matters.' A Conservative spokesman said the party 'values intellectual property in the creative industries' and considers the matter closed.

Who is Stanley Chow

Chow is a Manchester illustrator and a Manchester United fan who supports Labour. He is known for portraits of footballers including Wayne Rooney, Edgar Davids, Ronaldinho and Eric Cantona, as well as a series of portraits of 'Great Northerners' — from Maxine Peake and Emmeline Pankhurst to the poet Lemn Sissay. He recently curated an art trail in his home city in connection with the Brit Awards being held there.

A bottle with Bottler Burnham written on it under a cartoon image of the PM wearing glasses and Andy Panders' People Pleaser Pick N Mix
Image caption,

The Conservatives handed out bottles with Chow's illustration on them at their party conference

The cartoon image of Andy Burnham on a red background in a black T-shirt and grey suitImage source, Stanley Chow
Image caption,

The original image of Andy Burnham was created by Chow in 2021

A bottle with Bottler Burnham written on it under a cartoon image of the PM wearing glasses and Andy Panders' People Pleaser Pick N MixPart of a car park site has been painted to show an illuminated Brit Award in orange.