A Scottish Tory MP's attempt to attack The National and SNP MP Tommy Sheppard backfired spectacularly ... and within just 2 minutes.

Ross Thomson, the Jacob Rees-Mogg enthusiast MP for Aberdeen South who backs a devastating Hard Brexit for Scotland, launched a broadside at Sheppard for not making it to today's Scottish Affairs Committee meeting in Westminster.

We reported last week (you can read the full story here) that Tory, Labour and LibDem MPs all failed to show up for a Committee hearing on immigration in Kirkcaldy. It was attended only by SNP MPs.

So Thomson, seeing that Sheppard wasn't attending the Westminster meeting today, decided to aim a tweet at the MP for Edinburgh East.

There was just one problem. Sheppard was off ill and had given his apologies to the chair of the committee last night.

At last week's meeting in Kirkcaldy the Unionist MPs had a range of flimsy excuses for not attending. Funny how they manage to make the meetings in London no problem...

This isn't the first time recently that Unionist MPs have attacked their SNP rivals for being unwell and unable to work.

On Friday, Mhairi Black hit out at Labour MPs Ian Murray and Paul Sweeney, after they attacked her voting record ... despite the fact that she had missed much of the parliamentary year with serious illness. (Click here to read our story on that)

Thomson, who is one the UK's most fervent Brexiteers despite representing an Aberdeen consituency which will be one of the hardest hit by leaving the EU, was quick to row back on his attack.

Next time, Ross, think before you tweet!