SCOTS will be “insulted” by Liz Truss branding the First Minister an “attention seeker” it has been claimed as Scottish Tories were accused of entering spin overdrive to limit the damage of the comments.

Scottish Conservatives were accused of attempting to spin the Foreign Secretary’s “obnoxious” comments by attempting to frame her remarks as being about independence rather than an insult against her.

At a Tory leadership hustings last night, the current favourite to become Prime Minister said: “I really believe we’re a family and we’re better together and I think the best thing to do with Nicola Sturgeon is ignore her.”

The Scottish part’s chief whip Stephen Kerr tweeted: “The next Prime Minister needs to work with Nicola Sturgeon on the genuinely important issues.

“The best way to do so is ignore her attention seeking Indyref2 blethering, and turn the focus on health, education, justice, climate change, etc.”

READ MORE: Ex-Tory MSP furious over Liz Truss's 'inappropriate' Nicola Sturgeon comment

But SNP health spokesperson Philippa Whitford said his comments were contrary to the spirit of what Truss said.

She told The National: “They’re obviously in a panic, they’ve realised how insulting her comment is.

“Someone who’s currently Foreign Secretary, i.e. is meant to be able to be a diplomat, her approach is simply to ignore the leader of another country.”

She added: “They keep shouting: ‘You need to get on and solve these problems.’

“We need the full levers of Government to be able to solve all of these problems.”

Meanwhile, Tory MSP Murdo Fraser called the outrage around the comments – which has come from across the political spectrum – “manufactured”.

“Let’s just remember that, according to polling, barely a third, if that, of the Scottish population support an independence referendum on the timescale being proposed by Nicola Sturgeon,” he said, claiming that Truss “is far more in tune with the majority of Scottish opinion” on the matter.

READ MORE: Jacob Rees-Mogg defends Nicola Sturgeon 'attention seeker' jibe from Truss

John Swinney, Sturgeon’s top lieutenant, said Truss’ comments were “deeply troubling and concerning”.

The Deputy First Minister told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland that people in Scotland, regardless of political opinion, will be “really concerned, and in many cases, insulted”.

He added: “Nicola Sturgeon has far more democratic legitimacy than Liz Truss is going to have if she becomes the prime minister, and I think Liz Truss has absolutely no right or foundation to make these remarks.”

Truss has also sparked outrage last week when she pledged to block any Scottish independence referendum for her entire time in office, if voted in as the next Prime Minister.

She is currently expected to beat former Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as the next Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party.