I listened with growing incredulity and rising anger to reports that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was considering recompensing staff affected by proposed tax rises in Scotland. Given that 70% of taxpayers will pay less or at least no more and only 30% will face a modest increase, it seems rather strange to say the least. The logic and political reasoning of it has to be called into question.

After all, the military in Scotland must have a heavy preponderance towards those who are low paid and will accordingly be better, not worse off. The number of highly paid generals and admirals, or colonels and wing commanders are significantly outnumbered by squaddies, airmen or other rank and other file staff as privatisation takes hold.

In all likelihood significantly more than 70% of MoD staff will gain from the changes, whilst those who can afford it are hardly going to suffer. It's having been uniformly accepted that the rises for those due to pay them are modest and far from the days of Denis Healey talking about “taxing the rich until the pips squeak.” Finance minister Derek Mackay spiked the Tory guns with a modest rise not full-frontal attack.

But it seems the MoD fear more for the few that command than the overwhelming majority who serve. Goodwill apparently to all men but only those who serve at a certain rank. Rank must have its privileges after all and supplies of claret and port must be protected. Too bad for the poor damn squaddie who can pay his own taxes and stick to his bully beef.

Listening to it I was minded of the great song by Billy Connolly, Sergeant Where’s Mine. Though, more anti-war in sentiment the chorus does question the thinking behind this.

“Oh Sergeant is this the adventure you meant

when I put my name down on the line

All that talk of computers and sunshine and skis

Oh I’m askin’ you sergeant where’s mine”

If they can seek to recompense a high earning general or admiral, why not a humble soldier or sailor. Will a serviceman transferred to Portsmouth or Aldershot be recompensed for the higher cost of living they’ll face? If not, why not? Or is it one law for the rich and another for the poor, and it's not for them to question why, just to do and pay up?

Though why should we be surprised? This is an MoD, after all, that presided over sending young Scottish squaddies, never mind laddies from the rest of the UK and far beyond, ill prepared to war and where some even had to resort to buying the equipment they needed. Who then recognised their services by issuing redundancy notices to them when they were still stationed abroad. Crass and insensitive hardly describes it.

But it’s been ever thus. After all, General Wolfe at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec centuries ago described Scottish troops as “hardy, intrepid, accustomed to a rough country and no great mischief if they fall.”

Rather than agonising over the needs of the higher earners the MoD might be better looking after the strategic needs of the nation, as an aircraft carrier is launched that has no planes to fly from it and most of its other ships are confined to port for repair.

The military normally try to keep out of politics though the MoD are a different entity. However, I do recall back in the 1980s when unemployment was high that a friend applied to be a flight engineer with the RAF. Invited to a course at Biggins Hill or somewhere like that, part of the course involved dinner with senior officers. During the meal the wing commander who was hosting the event and doubtless the passing of the port, questioned the fledgling airman on what he thought of the miner’s strike. “I support them, sir” he quickly replied, to find himself out of the service, faster than a pilot in an ejector seat.

No wonder that in my interactions with the military I’ve invariably heard similar accents to mine amongst servicemen but rarely in senior command even in Scottish regiments. It gave me an understanding of the term “Ruperts”.

The howls of outrage that have followed the Scottish Budget are absurd. Revenge of the sans culottes this isn’t. The rich have been getting richer and it's time that was rolled back, in the army as elsewhere.