Tories were given huge boost at polls for General Election by ethnic minorities who deserted Labour

• Poll revealed a million black, Asian and minority ethnic voters picked Tory
• Traditionally they favoured Labour and 1.6million supported Miliband
• Tories attracted 38% Asian voters but didn't do as well with black voters

The General Election gave the Conservatives their highest share of the minority vote to date.

A poll by Survation for the British Future think-tank of 2,000 people between May 8 and 14 has revealed that a million black, Asian and minority ethnic voters (BAME) supported the party.

People from ethnic minorities have traditionally favoured Labour, and more than half of the UK’s three million black and Asian voters (around 1.6million) supported Ed Miliband in the election. 

+2

The Conservative Party received its highest ever share of the ethnic minority vote at this month’s general election, research has found (pictured, polling stations in Tower Hamlets this month)

With a third of BAME votes going to the Tories, the gap in popularity between them and Labour among ethnic minorities is rapidly shrinking.  

For decades, the Tories have struggled to attract ethnic minority voters, but this result is the best share of the vote so far for the party.

The Conservatives were especially successful at attracting the Asian community, winning 38 per cent of their votes.

But the party did less well with black voters on 21 per cent, and mixed race voters on 26 per cent.

The research into attitudes among minority voters found the Liberal Democrats and the Green party each took 5 per cent or around 150,000 votes, and UKIP took 2 per cent or around 60,000 votes.