THERESA MAY’S election gamble “spectacularly backfired,” Scottish trade unionists said yesterday as they added to the chorus demanding she quits.

Scottish TUC general secretary Grahame Smith accused the bungling Prime Minister of being “arrogant and weak” and said the Tories’ austerity agenda, dismantling of public services and attacks on unions and workers’ rights had been “soundly rejected.”

He charged: “Her credibility is shot and she should go now.”

Mr Smith praised Scottish Labour for its recovery, saying: “Jeremy Corbyn’s common sense message clearly struck a chord with voters who did not take kindly to being treated as voting fodder, are sick of the Tories’ politics of greed and division and want to see the country take a different direction.”

He said the Conservative revival in Scotland was more to do with their “obsessive focus” on blocking a second independence referendum, but their “failed economic policies and callous disregard for those struggling to get by” were resoundingly rejected both north and south of the border.

And he said that any talk of a second independence referendum should be put aside until after a Brexit deal is negotiated.

Labour in Scotland made a comeback to win seven seats in Thursday’s general election as the SNP saw their number of seats fall by a third.

The nationalists lost 21 MPs, including ex-party leader Alex Salmond and their Westminster spokesman Angus Robertson, leaving them on 35.

The Scottish Conservatives secured 13 seats, a big rise from one in 2015.

Two of the new Labour MPs elected were endorsed by Campaign for Socialism, which represents the pro-Corbyn elements in Scottish Labour.

Hugh Gaffney, a postman and CWU member elected for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, said that voters had sent a clear message that they wanted “socialism not nationalism.”

He said: “Our campaign was not based on a swing or a trend. It was based on the very principles that our party was founded on.”

Danielle Rowley, who spoke at one of Mr Corbyn’s final rallies in Glasgow a few weeks ago, was elected for Midlothian.

Ms Rowley told the Star she was “delighted and proud to be elected as the first female MP for Midlothian.

“I feel privileged that the people of Midlothian put their faith in me and from my experience on the doorsteps it’s clear that voters believe in the Labour vision and manifesto.

“The work starts now.”