Tory politician used racist slur in WhatsApp chat

Laura Anne Jones says she "deeply" regrets using the word

A Welsh Conservative politician used a racist slur about Chinese people in a WhatsApp group chat.

South Wales East Tory Senedd member Laura Anne Jones used the highly offensive term in an exchange about Chinese-owned video app TikTok.

Ms Jones has apologised and issued a statement saying the word was "unacceptable and I deeply regret using it".

"I sincerely apologise for any offence this has caused," she said.

Warning: This story contains strong racist language

Ms Jones' Senedd colleague, Tory MS Natasha Asghar said she was "positively livid" and "embarrassed" by Ms Jones' use of the racist term.

Ms Asghar, who represents the same region as Ms Jones, added: "Language like this is unacceptable at every level".

In the meantime two Conservative MSs have told BBC Wales that Ms Jones should lose the whip and be removed from the Conservative group.

The Welsh Conservative Party has declined to comment.

Ms Jones has represented South Wales East for the Tories in the Senedd since July 2020.

But in June she was stripped of her position as the party's culture spokesperson, after texts from her phone appeared to show an employee was asked to maximise expenses claims.

In the WhatsApp exchange about TikTok, first revealed by the news website Nation.Cymru, a message from Ms Jones says: "No chinky spies for me!"

It is unclear when the message was sent.

The apology from Ms Jones comes after the Conservative Senedd leader has been accused of engaging in "Islamophobic race-baiting" by a Muslim group.

The Muslim Council of Wales has criticised Andrew RT Davies over an article he wrote about halal meat in schools.

He has said he "entirely" rejects the criticism.

It is not clear when the WhatsApp exchange took place

Plaid Cymru said the language used in the WhatsApp conversation was "vile" and "completely unacceptable," calling on the Conservative group in the Senedd to "reflect on their recent behaviour and understand that their actions and words have consequences".

Ms Jones has been the subject of a police investigation over expenses allegations, which saw her removed from the shadow cabinet.

One message about her expenses saw her ask a staff member: "When doing petrol thing - always make more than I did – add in stuff please OK".

The context for the WhatsApp messages regarding her expenses was not evident.

A solicitor on her behalf said at the time: "Ms Jones is satisfied that any allegations in relation to impropriety surrounding expenses are entirely misconceived".

She remains a member of the Conservative group in Cardiff Bay.