The Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association is investigating an Instagram post shared by its Deputy Chair, Natalia Awasty, which contained an ableist slur targeting the Green Party. The post, dated May 8, 2026, was shared to Awasty's Instagram story and featured content from another account stating: "I miss when the Green Party were tree huggers instead of r**ards."
Post surfaces after Green Party candidate calls it out
The post came to the attention of the local Conservative group after Nilton Rodrigues, a Green Party member and recent candidate in Westbourne, shared a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter). Rodrigues wrote: "Using an ableist slur to attack political opponents has no place in public life. Disabled people deserve better, and so does our politics."
A spokesperson for the Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association confirmed that the post does not reflect the group's views or those of the wider party. They stated that they were only made aware of the post after Rodrigues shared it publicly. Awasty is a current member, and her post is being reviewed under the party's internal complaints process. She has declined to comment.
Previous controversy over Arabic-language posts
This is not the first time Awasty has faced scrutiny over online posts. In the run-up to the May 2026 council elections, the Daily Mail reported that she had uploaded two videos to her Instagram profile in Arabic, despite a call from party leader Kemi Badenoch to ban the use of foreign languages to target voters. Those posts were subsequently removed.
Awasty stood as a Conservative candidate for the Church Street ward in the May elections, securing 273 votes. She finished behind the Green Party and three successful Labour candidates: Aicha Less, Fiona Parker, and Abdul Aziz Toki. While the Conservatives failed to win Church Street, they regained control of Westminster City Council, which had been held by Labour since 2022.
Internal investigation underway
Rodrigues raised the issue of Awasty's Instagram share last week. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "Sadly I'm not shocked when Tories show their regressive attitudes. Whenever we see harmful attitudes and highly offensive language, it must be called out. I send my solidarity to our disabled community and wish all a happy and powerful Disability Pride month."
When asked about potential implications for Awasty and a timeline for the investigation, the association spokesperson said: "This matter is being considered under the Conservative Party's confidential internal complaints process, which is now underway. In line with the confidentiality of that process, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the process itself, those involved, or any potential outcome. We will not be commenting further on this matter while the process is underway. We understand Natalia does not intend to provide comment at this time."
