Less than half of Asians likely to vote

Fewer than half of all Asians in Britain are likely to vote in the General Election, a survey suggested today.

Just 44% of Asians said they would vote on May 6, a poll for digital radio station BBC Asian Network found.

This compares to 55% of the general population, according to an ICM poll for the Guardian last week.

Among the Asian voters who said they would head to the polling booths, people of Indian origin were the most enthusiastic (51%), followed by Bangladeshis (39%) and Pakistanis (38%).

Research by the BBC Asian Network found there were more Asian candidates standing for the main parties than ever before - 89 compared to 68 in 2005.

But according to the poll, only 15% of Asian voters will vote for an Asian candidate, with four in ten believing that Britain will never have an Asian Prime Minister.

The survey also found that 56% of Asians believe the elected Prime Minister should be tougher on immigration.

And asked which political leader they would invite into their home for a curry, most chose Gordon Brown (35%), with David Cameron at 28% and Nick Clegg with just 8%.

:: ICM interviewed 500 adults aged over 18 from Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds over the Easter period.