New poll reveals that one third of Britons believe Ukip is a racist party

But nearly the same percentage say the party is more honest than its rivals

One third of Britons believe that Ukip is a racist party, according to a new poll.

The survey, commissioned by ITV News and ComRes, probed the opinions of 2,052 British adults and found that 32 per cent of them think the party was racist.

Nearly the same number of respondents – 33 per cent – think the party is more honest than its rivals, but 38 per cent disagree.

Of those surveyed, 40 per cent believed that Ukip is not a racist party and 29 per cent said they did not know.

And when quizzed on whether they believe Ukip’s policies are sensible, Britons were left divided – 38 per cent think not and the same percentage believe the party does.

The poll also found that nearly half (44 per cent) of those who voted Conservative in 2010 are likely to agree with Ukip’s policies. 34 per cent would disagree.

Ukip has refuted suggestions that the party is racist. Last week, Nigel Farage hit back at claims the party’s latest poster campaign was racist by calling it a “hard-hitting reflection of reality experienced by millions of British people.”

Yesterday, William Henwood resigned as a member of the party after he suggested actor Lenny Henry should emigrate to a “black country”.

A spokesman for the party condemned the remarks and said his resignation was “mutually agreed”.