He joined the national news and current affairs network BBC Radio 5 Live when it opened in 1994, becoming a programme editor and presenting Morning Reports and Up All Night.

He left full-time broadcasting in August 2006, apart from a guest role presenting the launch programme and first week of Breakfast shows at community radio station Swindon 105.5 in March 2008.

[citation needed] Heaton-Jones specialised as a political journalist, including the presentation of BBC election coverage nationally and locally from 1986 onwards.

[1] In 2006 Heaton-Jones returned to Australia and worked on the election campaign of Rob Stokes, the Liberal Party candidate in the New South Wales Electoral district of Pittwater.

The campaign succeeded, with Stokes regaining the seat for the Liberals from incumbent Independent Member of Parliament Alex McTaggart.

After the election, Heaton-Jones was appointed Stokes' policy advisor and press secretary in the New South Wales Parliament.

He unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative Party candidate in the marginal Western ward of Swindon Borough Council at the 2008 local elections.

In 2009 he became a Councillor on Haydon Wick Parish Council and a Governor at Isambard Community School, both in North Swindon.

Since leaving the House of Commons he has worked as a political consultant, a commentator and analyst on broadcast media, and a feature writer.