The first leader of a new political party set up by broadcaster Sandi Toksvig to campaign for women's rights has been announced.

Journalist and author Sophie Walker has been named as the leader of the Women's Equality Party (WEP) and vowed to put equality "back on the mainstream political agenda".

The party, which hopes to field candidates in elections next year, could champion radical policies including new laws aimed at ensuring equal representation for women in parliament and on company boards.

The WEP hopes to follow the lead of other small parties such as Ukip which have managed to influence the political agenda without a large presence at Westminster.

Ms Walker, 44, who has two daughters and two step-sons, said: "We want to put equality for women back on the mainstream political agenda. We believe that it's time to really take action to fix many things that have been left unfixed for too long."

The party would campaign on six key themes: ending violence against women, calling for equal representation in politics and business "so that women's voices are heard at the same volume as men's", equal pay, equal parenting, equal education and equal representation by and in the media.

The WEP, which was formed by Toksvig and journalist Catherine Mayer in March, is still developing its policies in conjunction with activists from around 50 local branches.

Ms Walker said: "We are working on our policies right now, we will be unveiling them later on in the autumn."

She would not rule out the prospect of pushing for legislation to ensure equal representation for women in Westminster or in the City.

"We are listening to all of our members, we are taking everything on board right now," she said.

"There is nothing off the table, everything is on the table."

She indicated that WEP would draw inspiration from the performance of parties such as Ukip and the Green Party - which together achieved 16.4 per cent of the vote in May but just two seats - and the rise of the SNP in Scotland.

Ms Walker said: "What we are trying to do is make the existing political parties better. Yes, we absolutely are presenting ourselves as an electoral force, we have learned lessons - it's very clear to see how other parties have come through and managed to put their agendas in the mainstream by being an electoral force.

"We also want to work really closely with the existing parties. I'm the best leader for the party because I am a very ordinary person."