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Almost half the country would back a new right-wing party that vowed to crack down on immigration and Islamic extremists, a shock poll reveals today.

They would also restrict the ­building of mosques and order the flag of St George or the Union Jack be flown on all public buildings.

The revelations will spark fresh fears of racial tension in Britain amid a new wave of support for extreme right-wing parties like the British National Party and the English Defence League.

Findings of the survey, the largest of its kind and involving 5,054 people, are in a major report called Fear and Hope – the New Politics of Identity, which examines views on race, ­immigration and multi-culturalism. Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband and campaigning left-wing MP Jon Cruddas will officially unveil the report, produced for the ­Searchlight Education Trust, tomorrow.

They will also launch Searchlight’s Together project to tackle extremism among white and Islamic ­communities with the slogan: “A plague on both their houses”. In one of the most revealing ­questions, pollsters Populus asked people if they would back a party that “wants to defend the English, create an English parliament, control immigration and challenge Islamic extremism”.

A total of 48 per cent said they would either “definitely support” or ­“consider supporting” a party with such an agenda, if it shunned violence and fascist imagery.

The results will alarm both PM David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband, who are worried about the rise of right-wing extremists.

In the 12 months to last ­September, 238,950 migrants were allowed into Britain, the highest figure since records began. Sixty per cent of people thought immigration had been “a bad thing” for England, against 40 per cent who said it had been “good”.

Thirty-four per cent said ­immigration should be stopped permanently or until the economy improved. The report also found opposition comes from all races, not just “white Britons”. And 52 per cent of Britons agree that “Muslims ­create problems in the UK”.

Searchlight director Nick Lowles said: “The harsh truth is we are in danger of losing touch with the public on race, immigration and multi-cultural­ism.”

vincent.moss@sundaymirror.co.uk