[4][5] Jones contested the South Wales East list and the Caerphilly constituency at the 2003 Welsh Assembly elections.

[23] Following the death of Mohammad Asghar in June 2020, it was confirmed in July 2020 that Jones would become the MS for South Wales East, having been the next Conservative candidate on the regional list in the Assembly's 2016 election.

[27] These roles ceased to be shadow ministries in March 2021, after Nick Ramsay stood down to contest the 2021 Senedd Elections as an independent.

[30] In 2021, past Facebook posts from Jones surfaced in which she said "I would like to do a spot of Chav shooting" and "a shame that isn't legal.

In May 2024 it was reported that Jones was being investigated by both South Wales Police and the Senedd’s Standards Commissioner for allegedly falsifying expenses claims.

[32][33] In June 2024, messages were released which appeared to show Jones instructing staff to claim expenses for more petrol than she used.

[34] In December 2024, she was cleared by the South Wales Police, with the investigation being handed back to the Senedd Standards Commissioner, Douglas Bain.

[36][37][38] Her use of the term was condemned by Welsh Conservative colleague Natasha Asghar, who said she was "positively livid" and that "language like this is unacceptable at every level".