TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady appealed to the labour movement to “reach out” to working-class communities who voted for Brexit and work together to “build unity” in the face of racist attacks in Britain.

Speaking at a fringe meeting on the EU referendum and workers’ rights at the SNP conference, Ms O’Grady said: “We need to think hard about why so many people voted out. 

“How much of it was driven by the fear of immigration? How much of it was driven by wanting to give a bloody nose to Westminster and Brussels, and how much of it was a cry of pain from parts of the country that have felt shafted over the years?”

Ms O’Grady said that many towns and cities across Britain hadn’t recovered from the last financial crash and that many people felt angry. She warned that “if we don’t lead and steer that anger it could end with people scapegoating people more vulnerable for themselves.”

Ms O’Grady also said that a lack of a big trade union presence in towns contributed to a feeling of isolation and anger.She said that when the big industries such as coalmining, shipbuilding and manufacturing left these towns, unions went with them. 

“Trade unions promote values such as compassion, respect, dignity and equality,” she said. “I don’t know where else people learn those values except through a mass trade union movement. It’s time to win people back.”

SNP MP for Glasgow South West Chris Stephens warned delegates that the Tory right was taking politics in a “dangerous direction” following the Brexit vote.

He said “workers’ rights are being viewed by the current Tory government negotiating Brexit as a burden” and warned that protections for agency workers, TUPE and the working time directive were now under threat from the Tory right.

He pledged that “any Brexit deal which puts workers’ rights under threat will be opposed by the SNP at Westminster” and vowed to fight to “ensure all current EU laws on workers’ rights are incorporated into new laws.”

Speaking exclusively to the Star, Mr Stephens said the SNP at Westminster were prioritising protecting workers’ rights and the public sector, “particularly in light of HM Revenue and Customs office closures, which will not only have a huge impact on service delivery and Civil Service jobs, but any cuts to that department will allow a deregulated economy where tax avoidance is not addressed and the national minimum wage is not enforced properly.”