Ed Miliband is Labour's first Jewish leader

The brothers, who grew up in north London, are the sons of the late Marxist theoretician Ralph Miliband, a Belgian-Jewish refugee from the Nazis, and his Polish-born Jewish wife, Marion Kozak.

Although Labour has never had a Jewish leader before, 19th century Conservative prime minister Benjamin Disraeli was born Jewish.

In 2005 the Conservatives, led by Jewish politician Michael Howard, lost to Labour in the general election.

Meanwhile, the woman hoping to become London’s first Jewish mayoral candidate had less success. Oona King lost to Ken Livingstone, meaning that the former mayor will once more take on Boris Johnson in May 2012.