LABOUR MSP Neil Findlay appeared to insult those who speak the Scots language in his response to a tweet by Nicola Sturgeon, as the First Minister criticised inaccurate reporting of this week's Union flag "fake news".

The bizarre tweet left some social media users entirely confused about who Findlay was pretending to quote, whereas others called it "out of order" and "nonsense politics".

Three publications claimed earlier this week that Sturgeon had ordered the Union flag be flown less, but she quickly set out why the allegation was false.

The Daily Mail published an apology and correction yesterday, but the others have yet to do so, and key Tory figures have refused to back down.

While The National did recently introduce a host of new columnists writing in Scots, Doric and Gaelic – with Ashley Douglas this week writing about the democratic process in relation to Brexit – Findlay's decision to represent National readers using a mock form of the language brought a backlash from Twitter users.