BRITAIN'S newest political force, founded just seven months ago by broadcaster Sandi Toksvig and author Catherine Mayer, stages its national policy launch tomorrow.

The Women's Equality Party has six core aims, including pushing for equal pay, and equal representation in politics, business and industry, and seeking an end to violence against women.

To mark the launch in London, members and supporters of the party's Glasgow branch will attend a 'policy party' at the Scottish Youth Theatre to watch a special evening screening of the event.

Glasgow branch officer Natalie Chinn said: "People are engaging with the Women's Equality Party up and down the country, with tens of thousands of members already.

"Glasgow was one of the first branches to be formed and if our first few meetings are anything to go by, tomorrow's event will be full of lively debate and discussion."

She added: "It's really important to note that equality isn't a women's issue. Equality is better for everyone and, as such, our party is open to anyone, of any gender, aged 14 and over."

The policy launch has a special meaning for Glasgow, as the city was chosen as one of the 65 UK branches to hold a special event focusing on developing policies on equal pay.

Asked by the BBC last April why she had not joined one of the mainstream parties, Danish-born Toksvig said: "Most of the mainstream parties seem to treat women's issues as if we were a minority group rather than, in fact, what we are, which is the majority of the country.

"So you get separate women's manifestos, or you get childcare talked about as if it was only a woman's issue, and if UKIP and the Green Party have taught us anything, actually pushing our agenda from the outside and pushing the mainstream parties to pay attention is much more successful.

"The [new] party's going to be non-partisan. It's not going to be right or left. It's going to be a very pragmatic, female approach to things, which is to say, 'What is the problem that we have in front of us? And what is the most practical and possible way in which we can solve this?'

"I want the party to attract people from all sides."