NICOLA Sturgeon has hit back at "political" criticism from opposition MPs towards Scotland's national clinical director Jason Leitch.

The First Minister said it was "really invidious" for politicians to attack officials who aren't able to respond in the same way as elected leaders.

She responded after Labour peer Lord Foulkes said he was fed up hearing the medic on TV each night talking about "we in Scotland."

"If anyone has criticism to make they should make them of the elected politicians,” she said during her daily coronavirus briefing.

"We firstly are accountable and obviously are in a better position if we think those criticisms are unfair or not well founded, we can answer back in a way officials and clinicians [cannot].

She added that officials work for “whoever the government of the day is regardless of its party affiliation of colour.”

"I think there's something really invidious about anybody, any politician in particular, attacking personally or otherwise an official or a clinician who is there to offer advice,” the First Minister said.

“It's politicians who decide and we should be subjected to scrutiny where it's justified we should be subjected to criticism.

"I never will have any issue with that, but I do have an issue when people subject officials to unfair criticism."

Lord Foulkes today tweeted: "I’m getting just a wee bit fed up with @jasonleitch lecturing us “here in Scotland” at every advertising break."

But Leitch defended himself, saying: "Nice….I’m simply trying my best to keep the population as safe as I can and give the best advice I can. The advice in Scotland is different now to the advice elsewhere so it feels appropriate the National Clincal Director should say so."

SNP MSP Emma Harper also criticised Foulkes, saying: "I’m getting just a wee bit fed up with unelected people making laws."