Labour leads on race

		By Peter Snow BBC News election presenter

In the latest BBC News Online survey, Labour has a striking lead over the Conservatives on race - an issue which all parties clearly sense could be a highly charged one in the approaching election.

News Online 1000

Surveys by ICM

By internet and telephone

Results weighted to profile all UK adults

Surveys conducted through election campaign

But significantly, more people believe the Tories have better policies on asylum seekers than either the Labour Government or the Liberal Democrats.

Forty-nine per cent of people questioned by ICM for BBC News Online over the past week believe Labour best supports the interests of ethnic minorities.

This compares with the Conservatives who score 10% and the Liberal Democrats 15%.

Click here for full figures on race

Click here for full figures on other issues

And Labour leads the Conservatives by 35% to 23% on the question "Which party best represents your views on ethnic minorities?".

Moreover, nearly two thirds of those questioned (63%) said the Tories were coping badly with the issue of race.

It remains to be seen whether the assertions of Tory leaders in the past couple of days that the issue of race has no place in the Tory party will repair the damage that has been done.

Crumbs of comfort

But the Tories have struck a chord by constantly pressing the issue of asylum seekers.

Labour leads Tories on race issue

They lead Labour by 38% to 29% on this issue - which the Tories insist is not to do with race but a matter for legitimate political debate.

However, only 5% of the people questioned said the issue of asylum seekers was the one which weighed heaviest with them in deciding which way to vote.

There are a few crumbs of comfort for the Tories on other policy issues which appear to be more important to people than asylum policy.

On Europe and on crime the Tories now have a lead over Labour.

This lead is just 1% on crime (31% credit the Tories with the best policy compared to 30% for Labour) but 7% on the EU (37% to 30%).

On health, education and the economy Labour are still way ahead but their lead has dropped a little since a month ago.

The Liberal Democrats score poorly. Their greatest impact is on education where 13% say their policies are the best.

Crucial question

Mr Blair leaves Mr Hague far behind in the leadership stakes.

Fifty per cent reckon Mr Blair to be a strong leader compared to 15% for Mr Hague, and Mr Blair beats Mr Hague comfortably for honesty, sincerity and charisma.

Charles Kennedy rates well on honesty and sincerity, and is only two points behind Mr Blair when people are asked with whom they would most like to have a drink.

But on the central question - "Who would make the best Prime Minister?", it is Blair 44%, Hague 19% and Kennedy 12%.

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ICM polled 1,033 adults in England, Scotland and Wales between Tuesday, 24 April and Tuesday, 1 May - 270 of them by telephone and the rest by email.

The BBC News Online 1000 will continue to give their opinions on political issues over the coming weeks of the election campaign.