Ardent supporter, Wise counsellor and Trusted Confidante

We’ve all done it. A weekend in Magalouf gone too far, a bottle of Midori too many in Skinflats, a few too many pills whilst on the randan on the old holibags. The summers early, it’s all too exciting, and all that pent-up tension spilling over from work.

Poor Colonel Ruth expected to be treated with solemn respect after dressing up in khaki and posing at the barracks. She’s gone on holiday to [REDACTED] and it’s all spilled out. She’s fuming. Apparently people were ripping the piss, disrespecting the uniform, and not taking her, entirely altruistic venture on face value.

There is some speculation as to whether she took the fatigues on holiday and donned them to type out her endless tweetstorm (god this would be annoying wouldn’t it if you were actually on holiday with somebody – ‘Yeah yeah I’ll come in a bit – I’ve just got to finish a two hour tirade about a work feud’).

She blames ‘SNP Outriders’ (for which read everyone north of the Cotswolds shaking with laughter) for the ‘bizarre backlash’ against her raiding the dressing-up box.

She warned the backlash could discourage public figures from accepting honorary military posts in future in case they “get the Highland Spring treatment”. Which, presumably is reference to the sort of waterboarding her US military allies were fond of?

Now the Colonel has published a letter from Lt Gen Nick Pope, Admiral General, Chief Sea Lord, Master of Signals and Army Deputy Chief of the General Staff, urging her to be an “ardent supporter” of 32 Signal Regiment and the wider Army Reserve.

In his letter, Lt Gen Pope said: “In day-to-day matters I see your role as ardent supporter, wise counsellor and trusted confidante. There will be times when, as the figurehead of 32 Signal Regiment, you will be asked to use your personal influence within Scotland and the United Kingdom to help to deal with issues particular to your unit or to the Army Reserve as a whole.”

Thank god.

I think the Lt Generals statement must have satisfied anyone’s doubt that there was anything political about the stunt. Far from it. This is about the Colonel’s reach and influence and obvious role as an independent, un-aligned spokesperson for soldiery and cosplay.

Holyrood magazine explained that: “Davidson pledged to use her new role to “raise the profile of reservists in Scotland”, promote honorary posts and demonstrate that “they’re not scary”.

If anyone can explain what any of that possibly means, why it is important or remotely interesting – answer on a postcard.

Comments (16)

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  1. James Mills says:

    The way her London masters are closing down military establishments in Scotland (sadly not Faslane Trident base ) and running down numbers in the Forces she may be required soon to actually step into uniform and defend the country . Just as well she has her own tank too !

  2. Charles L. Gallagher says:

    Was it not dumb bastards like these that led to the massive loss of life in WWI – lions led by donkeys in Colonel’s uniforms.

    1. Willie says:

      Blimps as I believe many were called in the first world war have always been a feature of the British Army.

      Look at Prince Charles, his father, and the many other establishment Pooh Bah’s so often seen resplendent in uniform of the highest rank with a plethora of gongs to match.

      A parody of Idi Amin, Col Ruthin is of the same stinking ilk, as the Grand Pooh Bah establishment who appointed her.

      1. Gordon McAdam says:

        Bit of a mistake to criticise Prince Phillip in terms of soldiering (or navy-ing if you prefer). Can’t say he didn’t do his bit in WW2.

        1. Rosemary Meechan says:

          On which side?

    2. Thomas Gibson says:

      My grandad who spent four years in France during ww1 told me he never saw an officer above the rank of captain on the front line during the fighting.So in the event col ruth has to go she won’t be a danger to anyone!!!!

  3. Willie says:

    I actually wonder if Col Ruth might start wearing the khakis in Parliament.

    She’s demented enough to do that.

  4. Valerie says:

    We are certainly at weapons grade farce now. As someone remarked on Twitter -if it takes you 35 tweets to try and justify something, perhaps you can’t justify it.

    Apart from the clownish aspect to this whole ‘colonel’ thing, I’m still pretty disgusted that a MSP thinks this is all perfectly acceptable conduct. There are clear indications that Ruth will be expected to use her ‘influence’, to promote Army matters.

    WTF is going on here? She is paid a comfortable salary from the public purse, and any MSP worthy of the job, should be occupied with that position on behalf of their constituents, on a full time basis.
    Using their influence to promote her constituents interests, not the Army’s interests.

  5. Graeme Purves says:

    If I was the Honorary Colonel’s senior officer, I’d be concerned about her steadiness under fire.

  6. scottieDog says:

    Well it’s certainly fitting given the fact that democracy seems not to matter much in scotland.

    1. john young says:

      Fcuk her and the marching masses of militaristic unionists over to Helmand for a photo shoot.

  7. J Galt says:

    Can’t get the image out of my head of Colonel Ruth storming Holyrood with her revolver in hand – just like the Colonel who briefly took over the Spanish Parliament in 1981!

    Mind you he was a LIEUTENANT Colonel.

  8. scrandoonyeah says:

    A uniform, a tank and a whole lot of Buffalo………..all wrapped up in an erotic fantasy about Gillian Anderson……who would want to mine Ruth Davidson’s mind………………….meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

  9. Ian Brotherhood says:

    If it turns out that she was ‘offered’ this honour and *knew* that no-one else was being considered, she’s toast.
    She’ll have transgressed guidelines of the military *and* the Scottish Government.

  10. Robert Miller. says:

    Affluent. As the Soldier said. Effuelent. As the Shit House Cleaner Said. Ruth,is still an Arsehole.

  11. Suzanne Bosworth says:

    This is what General The Lord Richard Dannatt had to say about a Labour MP who had cited her temporary position as a Lieutenant Colonel:

    ‘Being made an honorary colonel is something very different and is a reflection of a career of dedicated service and achievement by a senior military officer.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3392116/It-s-eyes-left-Emily-Thornberry-mocked-boasting-Lieutenant-Colonel-armed-forces-despite-former-Human-Rights-barrister.html

    Perhaps it doesn’t matter that you combine the military with politics if you’re a Tory, though there appear to be quite a few vets and serving men and women of all political persuasions and none, who think Ruth’s appointment is a farce.

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