THE leader of Scotland’s newest pro-independence party has hit out at online critics.

On Saturday founders announced that the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP) is now registered with the electoral watchdog, ahead of an intended campaign at the Scottish Parliament elections next year.

Led by former SNP activist Colette Walker, the party intends to fight for votes on the regional list but will not stand constituency candidates. It says this could help ensure and increase a pro-independence majority in Holyrood. But some social media commentators questioned the rationale, with SNP MP Pete Wishart writing several hundred words outlining the reasons why he thinks another Yes party is a bad idea. That piece is carried in The National today and the link is at the foot of this article.

Meanwhile, other critics accused disability campaigner Walker of forming a “terf party”.

The controversial term (standing for trans-exclusionary radical feminist) has been used to describe women who do not support moves to make it easier for transgender people to change their legal status, and has been described by some as hate speech. Walker – who ran for the women’s convener role in that party last year – and fellow ISP member Victoria Johnson, who made Saturday’s announcement, have both spoken about their opposition to Scottish Government plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act, saying they believe these may lead to infringements on women’s rights.

Reacting to the “terf” comments, Walker told The National: “It says more about the people who chose to label women with such a misogynistic term of abuse than it does about us. Women going into politics have always had to deal with sexism at one level or another, particularly if they wanted to speak up for women’s rights, so we knew it wouldn’t be any different for us.

“As a party, we support, and will endeavour to protect, women’s sex-based rights – no amount of name calling will change that.”

She went on: “The founder members of ISP are all women, which I am very proud of. Politics is not an easy option for women.

“Men are, of course, more than welcome to get involved.”

The ISP is yet to announce any policies other than its support for independence. Walker says these will be revealed “in due course”, stating: “For the moment we want to focus on our main plan: independence.”

However, Wishart has questioned “if there is any real appetite for a new party beyond the fringes of social media”, citing the SNP’s high poll ratings and saying: “We only have to look at the example of RISE at the last election, when they secured a paltry 0.5% of the vote.”

He went on: “We have an indy majority just now. Let’s not do anything that risks losing it.”

READ MORE: Pete Wishart: New parties could cost us an indy majority at Holyrood