Councillor goes viral with foul-mouthed TikTok rant

Warning – this article contains offensive content and explicit language

Twm Owen Local Democracy Reporter

A foul-mouthed rant by a Gwent councillor posted on social media platform TikTok has been viewed thousands of times.

In the video, Torfaen Labour councillor Sue Malson warns unnamed men, who she appears to accuse of having made “false allegations” against her, she will come after them and take them down and warns against people “f***ing with her family. 

She also tells critics to “grow a f***ing spine”.

Viral

The video has been widely shared on TikTok and viewed thousands of times and has come to light after the Labour-controlled council’s leader, Anthony Hunt, criticised members of the public for a lack of respect towards elected members. 

In the video Cllr Malson, who is speaking directly to the camera, says she has been shown screenshots of “somebody slagging me off”. 

She then states: “Right, I called out a mush a couple of weeks ago. Six foot four-inch bloke, lanky streak of piss they won’t meet up with me.

“And yet again, Christmas night, another one joins him putting up false allegations. I’ve called him up. Why does this 60-year-old woman, four foot, ten call out men to take ‘em on and then don’t take the bait?  

“Well you forget who I am. I’m Mushy’s gal yeah I’m Gypsy Traveller, Gorja. My father taught me, from a young age, to stand up for myself and at 60 years of age I’m still doing it.

“These mushes, grow a fucking spine. If you can’t face me don’t slag me off, because I will come after you and I will take you down.” 

The rant continues with Cllr Malson warning: “Any fucking mush that wants to try and slag me down, you fuckin’ face me because I’ll tell you what I might be short, I might be old, but I’ll take no fuckin’ shit.  

“I love my boy dearly, I love all my boys dearly, but when I go to mush, thinks they take the better of me, think again. I’ve laid dormant for 13 years, yes I’ve laid dormant because of my job roles, but will I fuck any more? I’m telling you now, you fuck with me, you fuck with my family then you’ve got me to deal with.” 

Cllr Malson, who in September was appointed as Torfaen Borough Council’s Gypsy Traveller champion – when she vowed to speak up for the community both inside and outside the council and challenge prejudice – has told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the video was intended to be personal. 

Torfaen Borough Council has confirmed its monitoring officer has been made aware of the video and given advice to Cllr Malson.

When asked if the monitoring officer, who is responsible for ensuring councillors follow relevant rules and the code of conduct, had spoken with her about the video Cllr Malson replied: “You seem to know a lot more than me.” 

The councillor, who represents Pontypool’s Trevethin and Penygarn ward, then said she would make no further comment. 

She had already confirmed she had recorded the video and said: “That is my personal video on Facebook. 

“It is my personal video. Because I’m out there and vocal people attack me quite often. I’m not going to comment any more I’ve put up with enough.” 

A spokesman for the council said: “The council’s monitoring officer was made aware of the video and advice was given to Cllr Malsom. It is understood the video has now been removed and there have been no formal complaints made to the council.”

During January’s full council meeting leader Cllr Hunt said he had held talks with the police to “make sure that all members are entitled to go about their business as public representatives” and complained “in a social media age sometimes the work that we do can put us into contact with some people who don’t want to behave respectfully back towards us.” 

This is the transcript of Cllr Malson’s rant in full. 

“I signed off on Christmas Day on FB, because I was poorly. Couple of days later I’m shown the screenshots of somebody slagging me off.  

“Right I called out a mush a couple of weeks ago. Six foot four-inch bloke, lanky streak of piss they won’t meet up with me. And yet again, Christmas night, another one joins him putting up false allegations. I’ve called him up, why does this 60-year-old woman, four foot ten, call out men to take ‘em on and then don’t take the bait?  

“Well you forget who I am. I’m Mushy’s gal yeah I’m Gypsy Traveller, Gorja*. My father taught me, from a young age, to stand up for myself and at 60 years of age I’m still doing it. 

“These mushes, grow a fucking spine. If you can’t face me don’t slag me off, because I will come after you and I will take you down.  

“Now my boy has left me today to go to South Africa to work with children that’ve lost their parents through violence, drug and abuse. I’m going to be on my own for the next few weeks because he’s out there doing a fucking good job, yeah. My boy follows me, I love my boy dearly but any fucking mush that wants to try and slag me down, you fuckin’ face me because I’ll tell you what I might be short, I might be old, but I’ll take no fuckin’ shit. 

“I love my boy dearly, I love all my boys dearly, but when I go to mush, thinks they take the better of me, think again. I’ve laid dormant for 13 years, yes I’ve laid dormant because of my job roles, but will I fuck any more? I’m telling you now, you fuck with me, you fuck with my family then you’ve got me to deal with.”  

*According to gypsy-traveller.org Gorja is a Romani word for “non travelling person” but cautions there may be differing definitions “from place to place”.