NEARLY 200 people are backing a campaign to get a a prominent female Scots academic to issue an apology for describing the new SNP MP Mhairi Black as a "foul-mouthed slut".

Jill Stephenson, an historian, unionist and emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh who goes by the twitter name @Historywoman has been unrepentant after a row emerged over her comments directed at Ms Black, the youngest MP in the House of Commons.

The insults thrown by the historian prompted the SNP to call for everyone involved in the debate over Scotland's political future to be "respectful at all times".

The Twitter remarks were made before the general election when discussing those who were standing for Parliament for the SNP.

Ms Stephenson has since refused to apologise describing reports as "faux outrage" as she herself suffered an abusive backlash, with one Tweeter describing her as "evil".

She then posted what led her to make her comments.

It featured a picture of Ms Black with a collage of tweets attributed to her in which she uses the f... word.

Before the election, there were calls to sack Ms Black after a string of foul-mouthed Twitter rants emerged, and some of those are featured on the picture.

Ms Stephenson tweeted: "My 'vile' tweets were in response to this stuff."

Now a petition has been lodged demanding that Ms Stephenson apologise.

It says: "Ms Black appears to have done nothing wrong aside from the crimes of being a young, working class, SNP candidate.

"This attack on her via social media could put off precisely the people who should be encouraged to be involved in politics, and in using gendered slurs like 'slut' is likely to embolden sexists and put women off standing up and having their voices heard.

"Ms Black has a first class honours degree from the University of Glasgow and has worked hard to gain her election to Parliament. It's difficult to see, even if you don't agree with her politics (many people will not) why she should be the target of such bile, unless it's her class background.

"Professor Stephenson, please apologise to Ms Black for your insults. We understand your politics are totally different, so why not dispute her on political grounds rather than personal?"

The row over Stephenson's attack on Ms Black comes against a backdrop in which Scottish Labour produced a dossier detailing online abuse from apparent SNP members and independence supporters, and widespread criticism in the unionist press of so-called 'cybernats'.

After one tweeter questioned the calibre of the SNP candidates, Stephenson said: "They aren't even the worst. Have you seen/heard the appalling harridan Mhairi Black? Foul mouthed little slut."

In a separate thread she remarks: "If electors vote for a foul-mouthed slut like M Black, it says a lot about them, and none of it is good."

Before the referendum, Edinburgh-born Stephenson was described by one newspaper as "one of the most compelling voices in support of the Union" as an essayist, letter writer, blogger and a member of the Financial Times' readers' panel.

She is a former acting director of the Center for the Study of Modern Conflict and an expert on Nazi Germany and the history of women. Her publications include Hitler's Home Front: Württemberg under the Nazis and Women in Nazi Germany.

The comments came at a time when Ms Black was criticised over video footage which featured controversial comments in the aftermath of Scots backing the Union in which she spoke about wanting to "put the nut" on victorious "fat cat" Labour councillors at a Hope over Fear rally held in George Square.

Black, 20, now sits on the Work and Pensions select committee, and featured in Time magazine.

As the row surface, Stephenson reacted angrily to abuse directed at her. When one tweeter Ian Corrigan (@FreeScotTillDie) told her she was "stupid enough to vote for paedophiles", she responded: " Ah, point seven on the SNP crib sheet. When you run out of any arguments, wave a shroud and shout 'paedophiles'."