15:11

Nicola Sturgeon has tweeted an unexpected and detailed defence of the report by the SNP’s Growth Commission, which was published last Friday. (See 11.11am.)

Following significant criticism of the report - designed to offer a more sober evaluation of Scotland’s economic future as an independent country - by figures across the wider Yes movement as well as opposition politicians, Sturgeon insisted today that it offered an alternative to Westminster austerity, the “Brexit spiral” and lack of investment.

Perhaps most interesting is not the content of the tweets but the fact that the first minister felt moved to type them in the first place. She has, of course, said that the report should be a starting point for fresh debate on the economic practicalities of independence, so in that sense she is simply sticking to her word.

But it does raise the question whether she has been stung by criticisms from those within the pro-independence family, like that of Orwell Prize-shortlisted commentator Darren McGarvey - who is fast becoming one of the most interesting observers of Scottish politics currently writing. He described the report as “laughably centrist”, “too keen to placate the financial sector” and offering a “timid vision” of Scotland’s future.

Meanwhile, former SNP MP George Kerevan warned that the report “sticks to the very currency option that helped defeat the independence proposition back in 2014”.

Likewise, Scottish Labour quickly found a catchy rejoinder when they characterised the report a “cuts commission rather than a growth commission”.

Sturgeon has promised a series of assemblies of SNP members over the summer to discuss the report’s content. It will be interesting to hear how many of these concerns are shared by the membership who now, let’s not forget, represent a significant tranche of Scottish society.

