The National:

WE’RE sad to report that Lord Digby Jones is at it again.

The peer and former Labour government minister took aim at “La Suprema” Nicola Sturgeon in a furious Twitter rant.

This time, he’s fuming at the First Minister for failing to admit that Scotland would have gone bust months ago “without England’s support”.

The lord was reacting to recent polls showing the SNP leader’s soaring approval rating.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon's approval rating soars in new YouGov survey

Jones tweeted: “So 49% of Scots think that La Suprema Sturgeon has ‘done well in protecting jobs in Scotland’. Amazing what you can achieve when, as all good Socialists do, you spend other people’s money then take the credit.

“Go on Nicola: tell ‘em it’s England’s money you’ve been spending & that Scotland would have been bankrupt months ago without England’s support. How does that fit with an independent Scotland Nicola? I’d stick to sorting out A-level results if I were you; ah! you’re bad at that as well!”

FACT CHECK: Is Scotland really getting an extra £800m in Barnett funding?

The peer is of course correct, Scots should thank the heavens for being tethered to an economy which suffered a bigger slump than any other major European state in the second quarter of this year. Spot on.

Ignoring the fact that Scots sit Highers, not A-levels, attacking the FM for her handling of exam results is also an ingenious move, given Gavin Williamson’s expert management of the crisis in England.

READ MORE: Exams scandal exposes Tories’ ‘rank hypocrisy’

Not everyone was totally convinced by the peer’s contentions, however.

“Thanks for giving Scottish independence a boost with your lying, nasty bile,” author JR Tomlin replied.

SNP MSP James Dornan added: “Did you not used to be somebody on the tele? Was it TISWAS? Clown.”

Twitter user Dougie Bendall expressed his gratitude for Westminster’s generosity to Scotland.

He posted: “Send me more of England’s free money, we want everything you’ve got, thanks. Borrow another trillion if you have to.

“Thanks for Brexit, austerity, dodgy dark money and seedy little meetings with shady Russian characters! Thanks for hundreds of food banks, cheers.”

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon has the perfect response to lord's hair tweet

Jones’ latest attack on Sturgeon does at least mark a step up in intellectual terms from his previous attempt.

In May, he was slapped down by the FM after hinting at a conspiracy theory about her hair.

The lord further endeared himself to Twitter users in June when he claimed the £1 million fee to repaint Boris Johnson’s Brexit jet with Union flag colours was “tremendous value for money”.

As always, Jones serves as a reminder of why it's time Scotland went its separate way.