ALEX Salmond’s new political party poses a “real and present danger” to the Union, David Mundell has warned.

The former Scottish secretary issued a rallying cry for British nationalists to take the fight to Alba, which is fielding candidates in the regional lists in an attempt to boost Yes numbers in Holyrood.

Unionists have accused the party of attempting to “game” the system, but Mundell urged them not to underestimate the threat.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon is the best person to lead Scotland, Alex Salmond says

He told the Observer: “The important thing people have to grasp is that the threat he poses is real.”

The Scottish Tory MP added: “The system is as it is, so whether he’s gaming it or not is not the key. The key is that he and his party present a real and present danger to bringing about an independence referendum and it has to be stopped.”

The National: David Mundell has warned people would struggle without cash (David Mirzoeff/PA)

Salmond announced on Friday he would be standing as a candidate in north-east Scotland, as part of plans to gain a "supermajority" for independence supporters in the Parliament.

Two SNP MPs, Neale Hanvey and Kenny MacAskill, have joined the new party.

Salmond told Times Radio: "I hope and believe that Scottish nationalists at Westminster will be looking to the day that he or she would be transferred to the Scottish Parliament and it's quite reasonable that Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey think that that is going to be within this term of the parliament given the political opportunity that we now sense."

READ MORE: Another SNP MP defects to Alex Salmond's Alba Party for Holyrood election

North Lanarkshire councillor Lynne Anderson has also defected from the SNP to Alba.

Meanwhile, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross claimed Labour and LibDems are "ignoring the elephant in the room" by refusing to make a Unionist coalition.

He was speaking after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told him to "grow up" and LibDem MP Alister Carmichael described him as being "divisive".

Ross said: "They are ignoring the elephant in the room that while we will all agree that the focus has to be on our recovery from Covid-19 and rebuilding from the pandemic, we can't do that while the nationalists are determined to take us through another divisive and damaging independence referendum.

"It's naive in the extreme of Anas to suggest that we can somehow ignore the threat that is being posed by the SNP and the Alba Party."