Party leads EU election polls despite 27% believing it has racist views and 35% saying it draws racist supporters and candidates

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

The UK Independence party has a three-point lead for this month's European election – but most people think the party contains racists, according to an opinion poll.

Nigel Farage's party is on 29%, ahead of Labour on 26%, the Conservatives on 23% and the Liberal Democrats on 10%.

But 27% of those surveyed thought Ukip was a party with "racist views" and "many racist members", while 35% thought that, while the party was not racist, it did "seem to attract some candidates or supporters with racist, extreme or odd views".

Some 26% said Ukip was not racist and its more controversial candidates were "just saying the things ordinary people actually think".

The poll came as Ukip suspended another would-be councillor for expressing extreme views on Twitter.

Harry Perry posted comments on Twitter describing the prime minister, David Cameron, as a "gay-loving nutcase", Muslims as "devil's kids" and homosexuality as "an abomination before God".

Farage accepted there were "some idiots" in the party as he condemned Perry's comments as "entirely inconsistent" with remaining in Ukip.

The YouGov poll for the Sun on Sunday suggested that while, Tory and Labour supporters might back Farage later this month, they would switch back at the general election next year.

For the 2015 contest, Labour has a three-point lead of 36% over the Conservatives, on 33%, with Ukip on 15% and the Lib Dems on 10%.

Ukip's tough stance on immigration is helping to pull in support before the European election on 22 May, with 29% backing it as the best party on the issue, 10 points ahead of the Tories.

Farage is also running neck-and-neck with the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, on 21% as the leader most in touch with ordinary people.

But 34% believe Cameron is best suited to be prime minister, 19 points ahead of Miliband on 15%, with Farage on 5% and Nick Clegg on 3%.

The Tories are also the party most trusted on the economy, with 39% backing the prime minister's party, 18 points ahead of Labour.

In response to the threat from Ukip, Cameron has made his commitment to a referendum on Europe a red line issue for any government he might lead after 2015.

The prime minister told the Sunday Express the British people deserved "one last go" to get a Europe that suited them.

He dismissed Ukip's "throw in the towel" approach, instead insisting that he would be able to renegotiate a better deal with Brussels before putting it to a public vote before the end of 2017.

"Other members do not want to see us leave, because we bring an enormous amount to the EU, to the economy and policy.

"I'm saying to them that if you want Britain to stay there are changes we are going to have to make because, frankly, consent for membership to this organisation is wafer-thin."

YouGov polled 1,844 British adults between 30 April and 1 May.