A YouGov survey was conducted after Mr Miliband dismissed a frontbencher for a 'disrespectful' tweet of a house draped in England flags with a white van parked outside

More voters believe that Ukip is most in touch with the views of the white working class than Labour is, according to a poll that will stoke fears over Ed Miliband’s ability to connect with his party’s traditional supporters.

The YouGov survey was conducted after Mr Miliband dismissed a frontbencher for a “disrespectful” tweet of a house draped in England flags with a white van parked outside. Asked which party was most in touch with the views of white working-class people, 21 per cent chose Labour and 27 per cent Ukip. The margin was even greater among white working-class people themselves, at 20 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.

However, the poll also dealt a blow to Conservative hopes of winning back support from