SCOTTISH TUC general secretary Grahame Smith called on the labour movement yesterday to ensure that the general election campaign highlights working people’s interests.

Speaking to the Star ahead of the STUC annual congress next week, he said the event would give trade unions a chance, ahead of the election, to set an agenda that will deliver for working people.

Mr Smith called on the movement to “make sure the general election campaign is not solely about constitutional matters but also focuses on class issues which affect working people in their everyday lives.”

He told the Star that he had been “surprised” by Prime Minister Theresa May’s announcement on Tuesday of a snap election in June. He questioned her motivations for calling it.

Mr Smith warned Ms May against “making assumptions about the electorate’s voting intentions” in her bid to increase her majority in Parliament.

The election provides an “opportunity to set out our agenda and make sure Parliament stands on the side of working people” and not the vested interests of the Establishment, Mr Smith said.

The STUC leader vowed to send a “strong message that migrant workers play an important role in our communities and workplaces.”

At a time when they are being vilified by right-wing politicians and sections of the media, Mr Smith said, it was important for them to know they’re “very welcome in the trade union movement.”

The STUC annual congress will run from next Monday to Wednesday and will cover issues such as local government cuts, the NHS and public services, as well as combating rising racism and xenophobia and organising migrant workers.