ELECTION watchdogs have thrown out an attempt to launch a new political party with the slogan “Sod Scottish Referendum”.

The Electoral Commission last week ruled the phrase was too “offensive” to appear on election leaflets and ballot papers.

The slogan was proposed by the new English Independence party, founded by Neil Humphrey from Nottingham, who also tried unsuccessfully to register it during the 2014 referendum itself.

The Commission also rejected five other offensive slogans from the party, including “Keep Calm and Vote English”, “Hang Murderers Death-Penalty” and “Just Hang’m High to Die”.

However English Independence was registered as a party last week, with approved slogans including “Full English Devolution” and “Independence from Europe, and the UK”.

Humphrey, 47, was previously in Labour, Ukip, the LibDems and the English Democrats, and stood for the latter in Berwick-Upon-Tweed in the 2015 general election, getting 88 votes.

He has now set up the English Independence party, and is considering standing as a candidate in the upcoming Batley and Spen by-election caused by the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox.

He said he would be appealing against the Commission’s decision to reject the slogan he wanted to use for that contest, “Lethal-Injection Death Penalty for Murder”.