JULIE Hilling has sparked a political row after saying the rise of UKIP "has unleashed racism in the country".

The Bolton West MP made the statement while she was being interviewed about the rise of anti-semitism on the Sunday Politics show on BBC One.

Now the Conservative and UKIP prospective parliamentary candidates standing against her at the general election in May have called her claims "wrong" and "shocking".

During a panel discussion, Ms Hilling was asked what she thought was the cause of a rise of anti-semitism in the UK, which she says has been triggered by events in the Middle East.

“I also think we have got an increase in hate crimes across the board, so actually there’s an increase in Islamophobia, there’s an increase in attacks on disabled people — so actually we’re in a situation I think where those crimes continue," she added.

“But I also think the rise of UKIP has unleashed racism in this country again. I think that we’re not doing enough to educate people.”

Interviewer Arif Ansari interrupted her to ask “Sorry — really? You’re blaming UKIP?”

She replied: “I’m not saying that UKIP is racist at all, but I think we are now having a much wider conversation about immigration and about blaming people, incomers to this country, and blaming them for the deficit and blaming them for the things that are bad happening in the country."

When asked whether she thought UKIP had "fuelled" racism, she added: “No no, no no — not fuelled it, I think it has contributed into that debate, so actually I think people feel freer to be racist now than they were in the past.”

Bob Horsefield, who is standing for UKIP against Ms Hilling in the general election, dismissed her claims.

He said: “I don’t think there’s any correlation between UKIP’s popularity and a rise in racism — her facts are wrong.

“UKIP has made it easier for people to debate topics like immigration.

“We’ve been accused of being closet racists and fruitcakes — we took all the blows but now that subject is open for discussion and all the parties now are suggesting things that we have said in the past, like clamping down on border controls.

“I’m not a racist and none of the people in the Bolton branch are — they are really intelligent, normal people that want to see a change in how this country is run.”

Chris Green, the prospective parliamentary candidate in Bolton West for the Conservative party, said when he watched the interview he thought Ms Hilling’s comments were "unbelievable".

He added: "I am shocked that Julie Hilling, as our MP, would say 'I think the rise of UKIP has unleashed racism in this country again'".

"We can disagree with our political opponents but to force the BBC's NW political editor to ask, when discussing the rise of anti-Semitism, 'really, you're blaming UKIP?' shows a shocking error of judgement.

"Working class people increasingly feel that Labour no longer represent them and it is no wonder that the UKIP candidate, Bob Horsefield, a self declared socialist, trade unionist and former Labour supporter feels that Labour, under Ed Miliband, no longer represents working class values."