HIGH-profile politicians have joined a Twitter backlash against a Scottish Conservative MSP after he claimed that the rape clause is an "invention”.

In an interview with Holyrood Magazine, Brian Whittle MSP was asked for his opinion on the controversial clause in the UK Government’s two-child cap on benefits which allows victims of rape to apply for an exemption when their third child is born as a result of non-consensual conception.

The South Scotland list MSP stated his preference for the name “exception clause”.

“Well, number one, again, this is where politics is appalling, there is no such thing as a rape clause,” he said. “That’s an invention. There’s an exemption clause.”

“Why don’t we call it a children in care clause? Because it’s part of the same thing.

"I’ll tell you what I think about that, there’s a legitimate debate to be had around the child cap that will never happen because, politically, you wouldn’t be allowed to say what you’ve got to say. The term ‘rape clause’ is an invention to beat the Tories with. It’s the invention of another political party.”

READ MORE: Scottish Tory claims there's no such thing as a rape clause

Among the policy’s chief critics is the SNP’s Alison Thewliss. She set up the campaign group Stop The Rape Clause and petitioned the Government to abandon its plans.

She led the outcry on social media.

Thewliss' outrage was shared by Scottish Labour's Monica Lennon.

Kezia Dugdale also took to Twitter to slam Whittle.

The fury was not exclusive to politicans, however. Here are a selection of Twitter users' best responses.