Follow The Leader.

So Tavish Scott has become the new Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats ... but does anyone really care given that he was always the "shoo-in"?

"The Scottish Liberal Democrats have elected Tavish Scott as their new leader north of the border. He secured 1,450 votes, representing a 59% share of the turnout. Ross Finnie polled 568 votes (21.3%), and Mike Rumbles won 439 votes (17.9%). Mr Scott, 42, succeeds Nicol Stephen, who stepped down earlier this year to spend more time with his family. The former transport minister and Shetland MSP was tipped to win, but not by such a big margin."

Hardly a "big margin." He got under two thirds of the vote in a three way contest, albeit securing a majority on the first ballot, but that was against Ross Finnie MSP and Mike Rumbles MSP, hardly inspiring alternatives. Roll on 2011.

Mr Angry.

"A Liberal Democrat MSP stormed out of a Holyrood committee, accusing its Nationalist convener of playing party politics. Mike Rumbles had tried to question Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) witnesses about a controversial planning application for the Aviemore Highland resort. SNP ministers have been accused of interfering in the process."

Better be careful of Mr Rumbles. He's an ex-military man don't you know. It's all so much party politics.

Get ready to Rumbles.

Mr Smith reads that that former Army officer and now Member of the Scottish Parliament, Mike Rumbles, has apparently been asked whether he is prepared to return from retirement to support efforts in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"A politician has criticised the armed forces after being asked if he would consider serving abroad - some 13 years after he retired from the Army.West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MSP Mike Rumbles, who was a major in the Royal Army Education Corps, received a letter from the Ministry of Defence asking if he would consider putting his name forward as a volunteer to serve on foreign soil.He turned down the offer, which would have meant he might be called upon to leave his post in parliament and return to the Army, possibly in Iraq or Afghanistan."

Mr Smith makes the point that never minding supporting the fight for democracy in Iraq or Afghanistan, sending Mr "let's get ready to " Rumbles away from the Scottish Parliament would probably be doing Scottish democracy a bit of favour as well.

Let's get ready to Rumbles.

So, Lib Dem MSP Mike Rumbles has been busy visiting landfill sites in Stonehaven and seeing how rubbish is collected.

He said: "It was very interesting to see exactly how recyclates are collected."

Mr Smith thinks its not the first time that Mr Rumbles has been associated with the phrase rubbish, let alone recyclates.