FORMER SNP Inverclyde group leader Chris McEleny has quit to join Alex Salmond's new party.

Salmond today launched a new party for May's Holyrood election and will be joined by Cllr McEleny.

The former First Minister announced he intended to run as leader of a new regional list-only Alba Party.

Mr Salmond said the idea was to get more Yes candidates elected to get a "supermajority" for independence to put more pressure on Boris Johnson to grant Indyref2.

McEleny gave a live speech online as Salmond made his announcement online at 2pm.

Recent polls have shown the SNP on the cusp of winning a majority in May, potentially giving Nicola Sturgeon the mandate for a second independence referendum.

The SNP's projected success in constituencies had led to calls for separate pro-independence parties to stand on the list, where the SNP is less likely to win.

Earlier this week, Mr Salmond announced he was taking fresh legal action against the Scottish Government over its bungled sexual misconduct probe into him in 2018.