Joanna Cherry has said she was "not surprised" to be sacked due to an 18-month campaign of abuse she was subjected to.

Ms Cherry, who represents Edinburgh South West, claims she was the target of abuse due to her support for women’s sex-based rights.

Ms Cherry was "sacked" as the SNP’s justice and home affairs spokeswoman at Westminster, after facing criticism over her stance on transgender issues.

READ MORE: Joanna Cherry reports 'vicious threat' to police following SNP reshuffle

Soon after her removal was announced, she revealed she had contacted police on Monday February 1 after receiving a “vicious threat” to her personal safety.

Writing in the New Statesman, Ms Cherry said: “The reasons for my sacking were not made clear but I was not surprised.

“For some time a small but vocal cohort of my SNP colleagues has engaged in performative histrionics redolent of the Salem witch trials.

The Herald:

“The question – do you believe or have you ever believed that women are adult human females? – is one I must answer in the affirmative, but it’s not a response that is popular with some who have the ear of the leadership.“It’s frustrating because advocating for women’s sex-based rights under the Equality Act, expressing concerns about self-identification of gender and opposing curtailment of free speech, are not evidence of transphobia.”

READ MORE: Joanna Cherry 'sacked' from SNP front bench in Westminster

Police confirmed on Thursday that a 30-year-old man had been charged with a communications offence in connection with the incident.

She added: “Police Scotland came to take a statement and I filled them in on the background to these threats: an 18-month campaign of social media lies, smears and foul-mouthed abuse directed at me from a number of mainly young men within the party who seem to have a problem with middle-aged lesbians who support women’s sex-based rights.”