# List of British Jewish politicians

This is a list of Jews who served as politicians in the United Kingdom and its predecessor states or who were born in the United Kingdom and had notable political careers abroad.

## Jewish Leaders

Pre–1900
Benjamin Disraeli (1868–1881) - Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
1900–1974
Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel (1931–1935) - Leader of the Liberal Party (UK)
1974–2000
Michael Howard (2003–2005) - Leader of the Conservative Party (UK)
2000–2020
Ed Miliband (2010–2015) - Leader of the Labour Party (UK)
2020-
Zack Polanski (2021-) Deputy Leader of the Green Party (England and Wales)

## British MPs

A law in place until the 1850s stated that no member of the Jewish religion could be elected to Parliament. Some Christian denominations were similarly prohibited. If elected, a member would be excluded if he refused to swear an oath of abjuration with a strong Christian wording.
British Members of Parliament listed chronologically by first election date (in brackets)

### Pre–1900

* Lord George Gordon (1774–1780) Converted to Judaism
* Sampson Eardley (1770–1802) Father was Jewish. Eardley was baptised. Tory MP
* Manasseh Masseh Lopes (1802–1806, 1807–1808, 1812–1819 & 1820–1829) Lopes converted to Christianity in 1802, and later the same year he entered Parliament as a Tory MP
* Ralph Lopes (1814–1819, 1831–1837, 1841–1847 & 1849–1854) Conservative MP.
* Ralph Bernal (1818–1841 & 1842–1852) His father was Jewish, but Bernal was baptised. Whig MP
* David Ricardo (1819–1823) Ricardo converted to Christianity in 1793. Whig MP
* David Ricardo (the younger) (1832–1833) His father had been Jewish, but Ricardo was baptised. Liberal MP
* Benjamin Disraeli (1837–1876) Archived 2019-02-09 at the Wayback Machine, Conservative MP and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Born Jewish but baptised at an early age.
* John Lewis Ricardo (1841–1862) Liberal MP
* Ralph Bernal Osborne (1841–1874) His grandfather was Jewish, but Bernal Osborne was baptised. Liberal MP
* Lionel de Rothschild (1847–1868 & 1869–1874) , Liberal MP.
* David Salomons (1851–1852 & 1859–1873) Liberal MP.
* Massey Lopes (1857–1885) Conservative MP
* Mayer Amschel de Rothschild (1859–1874) Liberal MP
* Bernhard Samuelson (1859–1895) Liberal MP
* Francis Henry Goldsmid (1860–1878) Liberal MP
* Albert Grant (1865–1868 & 1874) Conservative MP
* Frederick Goldsmid (1865–1866) Liberal MP
* Nathan Rothschild (1865–1885) Liberal MP
* Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda (1865–1880) Liberal MP
* Julian Goldsmid (1866–1896) Liberal and later Liberal Unionist MP
* Henry Samuelson (1868–1885) Liberal MP
* George Jessel (1868–1873) Liberal MP
* Henry Lopes (1868–1876) Conservative MP
* John Simon(1868–1888) Liberal MP
* Farrer Herschell (1874–1885) Liberal MP
* Saul Isaac (1874–1880) Conservative MP
* Henry Drummond Wolff (1874–1885) Conservative MP
* Arthur Cohen (1880–1888) Liberal MP
* Henry de Worms (1880–1895) Conservative MP
* Harry Levy-Lawson (1885–1892, 1893–1895, 1905–1906 & 1910–1916) Liberal and later Liberal Unionist MP
* Lionel Louis Cohen (1885–1887) Conservative MP
* Lewis Henry Isaacs (1885–1892) Conservative MP
* James Alfred Jacoby (1885-1909) Liberal MP
* Samuel Montagu (1885–1900) Liberal MP
* Ferdinand de Rothschild (1885–1898) Liberal and later Liberal Unionist Party MP
* Herbert Jessel (1896–1906 & 1910–1918) Liberal Unionist and later Conservative MP
* Sydney Stern (1891–1895) Liberal MP
* Herbert Leon (1891–1895) Liberal MP
* Benjamin Cohen (1892–1906) Conservative MP
* Coningsby Disraeli (1892–1906) Conservative MP
* Henry Lopes (1892–1900) Conservative MP
* Gustav Wilhelm Wolff (1892–1910) Conservative MP
* Harry Marks (1895–1900 & 1904–1910) Conservative MP
* Harry Samuel (1895–1906 & 1910–1922) Conservative MP
* Arthur Strauss (1895–1900 & 1910–1918) Liberal Unionist Party and later Conservative MP
* Sigismund Mendl (1898–1900) Liberal MP
* Walter Rothschild (1899–1910) Liberal Unionist and later Conservative MP
* Edward Sassoon (1899–1912) Liberal Unionist MP

### 1900–1939

* Francis Lucas (1900–1906) Conservative MP
* Stuart Samuel (1900–1916) Liberal MP
* Herbert Samuel (1902–1918 & 1929–1935) Liberal MP and Leader of the Liberal Party
* Rufus Isaacs (1904–1913) Liberal MP
* Charles Henry (1906–1919) Liberal MP
* Arthur Lever (1906–1910 & 1922–1923) Liberal MP
* Maurice Levy (1906–1918) Liberal MP
* Philip Magnus (1906–1922) Conservative MP
* Alfred Mond (1906–1928) Liberal and then Conservative MP
* Edwin Samuel Montagu (1906–1922) Liberal MP
* Horatio Myer (1906–1910) Liberal MP
* Harry Primrose (1906–1910) Liberal MP
* Herbert Raphael (1906–1918) Liberal MP
* Bertram Straus (1906–1910) Liberal MP
* Edward Strauss (1906–1910, 1910–1923, 1927–1929 & 1931–1939) Liberal and then Liberal National MP
* Felix Cassel (1910–1916) Conservative MP
* Sydney Goldman (1910–1918) Conservative MP
* Frank Goldsmith (1910–1918) Conservative MP
* Trebitsch Lincoln (1910) Liberal MP
* Neil Primrose (1910–1917) Liberal MP
* Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (1910–1923) Conservative MP
* Maurice de Forest (1911–1918) – Liberal MP
* Leo Amery (1911–1945) Conservative MP
* Samuel Samuel (1913–1934) Conservative MP
* Percy Alfred Harris (1916–1918 & 1922–1945) Liberal MP
* Brunel Cohen (1918-1931), Conservative MP
* Gerald Hurst (1918–1923 & 1924–1935) Conservative MP
* Edward Manville (1918–1923) Conservative MP
* Arthur Samuel (1918–1937) Conservative MP
* Walter de Frece (1920–1931) Conservative MP
* Robert Gee (1921–1922 & 1924–1927) – Conservative MP
* Maurice Alexander (1922–1923) Liberal MP
* Alfred Butt (1922–1936), Conservative MP
* Manny Shinwell (1922–1924, 1928–1931 & 1935–1970) Labour MP
* Leonard Benjamin Franklin (1923–1924) Liberal MP
* Ernest Spero (1923–1924 & 1929–1930) Liberal and then Labour MP
* Leslie Haden-Guest (1923–1927 & 1937–1950) Labour MP
* Leslie Hore-Belisha (1923–1945), Liberal and then Liberal National MP
* Henry Mond (1923–1924 & 1929–1931) Liberal and then Conservative MP
* Joseph Sunlight (1923–1924) Liberal MP
* Moss Turner-Samuels (1923–1924 & 1945–1957) Labour MP
* Harry Day (1924–1931 & 1935–1939) Labour MP
* Samuel Finburgh (1924-1929) Conservative MP
* Frank Meyer (1924–1929) Conservative MP
* Isidore Salmon (1924–1941) Conservative MP
* Henry Slesser (1924–1929) Labour MP
* Michael Marcus (1929–1931) Labour MP
* Harry Louis Nathan (1929–1935 & 1937–1940), Liberal and then Labour MP
* Marion Phillips (1929–1931) Labour MP
* James de Rothschild (1929–1945) Liberal MP
* George Strauss (1929–1931 & 1934–1979) Labour MP
* Alfred Beit (1931–1945) Conservative MP
* Alfred Chotzner (1931–1934) Conservative MP
* Louis Gluckstein (1931–1945) Conservative MP
* Barnett Janner (1931–1935 & 1945–1970) Liberal and then Labour MP
* Dudley Joel (1931–1941) Conservative MP
* Thomas Levy (1931–1945) Conservative MP
* Abraham Lyons (1931–1945) Conservative MP
* Marcus Samuel (1934–1942) Conservative MP
* Henry Strauss (1935–1945 & 1946–1955) Conservative MP
* Sydney Silverman (1935–1968) Labour MP
* Daniel Frankel (1935–1945) Labour MP
* Lewis Silkin (1936–1950) Labour MP
* Daniel Lipson (1937–1950) Independent Conservative MP

### 1940–1973

* John Mack (1942–1951) Labour MP
* Herschel Lewis Austin (1945–1950) Labour MP
* Louis Comyns (1945–1950) Labour MP
* John Diamond (1945–1951 & 1957–1970) Labour MP
* Maurice Edelman (1945–1976) Labour MP
* Mont Follick, (1945–1955) Labour MP
* Harold Lever (1945–1979) Labour MP
* George Jeger (1945–1971) Labour MP
* Santo Jeger (1945–1953) Labour MP
* Benn Levy (1945–1950) Labour MP
* Marcus Lipton (1945–1978) Labour MP
* Ian Mikardo (1945–1959 & 1964–1987) Labour MP
* Maurice Orbach (1945–1959 & 1964–1979) Labour MP
* Phil Piratin (1945–1950) Communist Party of Great Britain MP
* Samuel Segal (1945–1950) Labour MP
* Julius Silverman (1945–1983) Labour MP
* Barnett Stross (1945–1966) Labour MP
* David Weitzman (1945–1979) Labour MP
* Austen Albu, (1948–1974) Labour MP
* Julian Amery (1950–1992) Conservative MP
* Leslie Lever (1950–1970) Labour MP
* Gerald Nabarro (1950–1973) Conservative MP
* Frank Allaun (1955–1983) Labour MP
* Henry d'Avigdor-Goldsmid (1955–1974) Conservative MP
* Keith Joseph (1956–1987) Conservative MP
* Philip Goodhart (1957–1992) Conservative MP
* Leo Abse (1958–1987) Labour MP
* Michael Cliffe (1958–1964) Labour MP
* Myer Galpern (1959–1979) Labour MP
* David Ginsburg (1959–1983) Labour and later Social Democratic Party MP
* John Mendelson (1959–1978) Labour MP
* John Silkin (1963–1987) Labour MP
* Joel Barnett (1964–1983), Labour MP
* Edmund Dell (1964–1979) Labour MP
* Jack Dunnett (1964–1983), Labour MP
* Reginald Freeson (1964–1987), Labour MP
* David Kerr (1964–1970) Labour MP
* Robert Maxwell (1964–1970) Labour MP
* Henry Solomons (1964–1965) Labour MP
* Maurice Miller (1964–1987) Labour MP
* Paul Rose (1964–79) Labour MP
* Samuel Silkin (1964–1983) Labour MP
* Robert Sheldon (1964–2001), Labour MP
* Renée Short (1964–1987) Labour MP
* Stanley Henig (1966-1970) Labour MP
* Edward Lyons (1966–1983) Labour and later Social Democratic Party MP
* Eric Moonman (1966–1970 & 1974–1979) Labour MP
* Robert Adley (1970–1993) Conservative MP
* Jack d'Avigdor-Goldsmid (1970–1974) Conservative MP
* Sally Oppenheim-Barnes (1970–1987) Conservative MP
* Stanley Clinton-Davis (1970–1983) Labour MP
* Michael Fidler (1970–1974) Conservative MP
* Geoffrey Finsberg (1970–1992) Conservative MP
* Greville Janner (1970–1997) Labour MP
* Toby Jessel (1970–1997) Conservative MP
* Gerald Kaufman (1970–2017), Labour MP
* Anthony Meyer (1970–1997), Conservative MP
* Harold Soref (1970–1974) Conservative MP
* Christopher Tugendhat (1970–1977) Conservative MP
* Neville Sandelson (1971–1983) Labour and later Social Democratic Party MP
* Clement Freud (1973–1987) Liberal MP
* Tim Sainsbury (1973–1997) Conservative MP

### 1974–2000

* Leon Brittan (1974–1988), Conservative MP
* Ivan Lawrence (1974–1997), Conservative MP
* Nigel Lawson (1974–1992), Conservative MP
* Millie Miller (1974–1977), Labour MP
* Malcolm Rifkind (1974–1997 & 2005–2015), Conservative MP
* Anthony Steen (1974–2010), Conservative MP
* Alf Dubs (1979–1987), Labour MP
* Sheila Faith (1979–1983), Conservative MP
* David Winnick (1979–2017), Labour MP
* Mark Wolfson (1979–1997), Conservative MP
* Martin Brandon-Bravo (1983–1992), Conservative MP
* Alex Carlile (1983–1997), Liberal and later Liberal Democrat MP
* Harry Cohen (1983–2010), Labour MP
* Edwina Currie (1983–1997), Conservative MP
* Michael Howard (1983–2010), Conservative MP and Leader of the Conservative Party
* Phillip Oppenheim (1983–1997), Conservative MP
* David Sumberg (1983–1997), Conservative MP
* Mildred Gordon (1987-1997) Labour MP
* Irvine Patnick (1987–1997), Conservative MP
* Gerry Steinberg (1987–2005), Labour MP
* Michael Fabricant (1992–2024), Conservative MP
* Peter Mandelson (1992–2004), Labour MP
* Barbara Roche (1992–2005), Labour MP
* Margaret Hodge (1994–2024), Labour MP
* John Bercow (1997–2019), Conservative MP and Speaker of the House of Commons
* Peter Bradley (1997–2005), Labour MP
* Ivor Caplin (1997–2005), Labour MP
* Louise Ellman (1997–2019), Labour and later Independent MP
* Fabian Hamilton (1997–present), Labour MP
* Evan Harris (1997–2010), Liberal Democrat MP
* Oona King (1997–2005), Labour MP
* Oliver Letwin (1997–2019), Conservative MP
* Julian Lewis (1997–present), Conservative MP
* Ivan Lewis (1997–2019), Labour MP and later independent MP
* Gillian Merron (1997–2010), Labour MP

### 2000–present

* Jonathan Djanogly (2001–2024), Conservative MP
* Paul Goodman (2001–2010) Conservative MP
* George Osborne (2001–2017), Conservative MP
* Ed Miliband (2005–present), Labour MP and former Leader of the Labour Party
* David Miliband (2001–2013), Labour MP
* Susan Kramer (2005–2010), Liberal Democrat MP
* Lynne Featherstone (2005–2015), Liberal Democrat MP
* Brooks Newmark (2005–2015), Conservative MP
* Grant Shapps (2005–2024), Conservative MP
* Lee Scott (2005–2015), Conservative MP
* Ed Vaizey (2005–2019), Conservative MP
* Luciana Berger (2010–2019), Labour Co-operative MP and later Liberal Democrat MP
* Michael Ellis (2010–2024), Conservative MP
* Zac Goldsmith (2010–2016 & 2017–2019), Conservative MP
* Robert Halfon (2010–2024), Conservative MP
* Richard Harrington (2010–2019), Conservative MP
* Julian Huppert (2010–2015), Liberal Democrat MP
* Andrew Percy (2010–2024), Conservative MP
* Lucy Frazer (2015–2024), Conservative MP
* Ruth Smeeth (2015–2019), Labour MP
* Tom Tugendhat (2015–present), Conservative MP
* Alex Sobel (2017–present), Labour MP
* Ian Levy (2019–2024), Conservative MP
* Charlotte Nichols (2019–present), Labour MP
* Damien Egan (2024-present), Labour MP
* Ben Coleman (2024-present), Labour MP
* David Pinto-Duschinsky (2024-present), Labour MP
* Georgia Gould (2024-present), Labour MP
* Matthew Patrick (2024-present), Labour MP
* Peter Prinsley (2024-present), Labour MP
* Sarah Sackman (2024-present), Labour MP
* Josh Simons (2024-present), Labour MP

## Peers

There have also been many Jewish members of the House of Lords some of whom are listed below.
* David Alliance, Baron Alliance Liberal Democrats
* Irwin Bellow, Baron Bellwin Conservative
* Jeremy Beecham, Baron Beecham Labour
* Max Beloff, Baron Beloff Conservative
* Alexander Bernstein, Baron Bernstein of Craigweil Labour
* Sidney Bernstein, Baron Bernstein Labour
* Alma Birk, Baroness Birk, Labour
* John Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley Crossbench
* Ruth Deech, Baroness Deech Crossbench
* Bernard Delfont, Baron Delfont Labour
* Joseph Duveen, 1st Baron Duveen Crossbench
* Andrew Feldman, Baron Feldman of Elstree, Conservative
* Basil Feldman, Baron Feldman Conservative,
* Lynne Featherstone, Baroness Featherstone Liberal Democrats
* Daniel Finkelstein, Baron Finkelstein Conservative
* Samuel Fisher, Baron Fisher of Camden Labour
* David Freud, Baron Freud, Conservative
* Henry Cohen, 1st Baron Cohen of Birkenhead Crossbench
* Dora Gaitskell, Baroness Gaitskell Labour
* Anna Gaitskell, Baroness Gaitskell, Labour
* Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron, Labour
* Maurice Glasman, Baron Glasman Labour
* David Gold, Baron Gold Conservative
* Peter Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith, Labour
* Arnold Goodman, Baron Goodman, Labour
* Anthony Grabiner, Baron Grabiner Labour
* Desmond Hirshfield, Baron Hirshfield Labour
* Gerald Isaacs, 2nd Marquess of Reading Conservative
* Sydney Jacobson, Baron Jacobson, Crossbench
* Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits Crossbench
* Peter Levene, Baron Levene of Portsoken Crossbench
* Michael Levy, Baron Levy Labour
* Edward Levy-Lawson, 1st Baron Burnham, Crossbench
* Richard Kahn, Baron Kahn, Crossbench
* Jonathan Kestenbaum, Baron Kestenbaum, Labour
* Stormont Mancroft, 2nd Baron Mancroft, Conservative
* Benjamin Mancroft, 3rd Baron Mancroft, Conservative
* Peter Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, Labour
* Peter Mond, 4th Baron Melchett, Labour
* Victor Mishcon, Baron Mishcon, Labour
* Roger Nathan, 2nd Baron Nathan, Crossbench
* Julia Neuberger, Baroness Neuberger, Crossbench
* David Neuberger, Baron Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Crossbench
* David Pannick, Baron Pannick Crossbench
* Maurice Peston, Baron Peston of Mile End , Labour
* Beatrice Plummer, Baroness Plummer, Labour
* Stuart Polak, Baron Polak Conservative
* Gail Rebuck, Baroness Rebuck Labour
* Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild Labour
* Jonathan Sacks, Baron Sacks, Crossbench
* Alan Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury, SDP
* David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville Labour
* John Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Preston Candover Conservative
* Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted Conservative
* Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted Conservative
* Beatrice Serota, Baroness Serota, Labour
* Herbert Stern, 1st Baron Michelham Conservative
* Leonard Steinberg, Baron Steinberg Conservative
* Alan Sugar, Baron Sugar, Crossbench
* David Triesman, Baron Triesman Labour
* Leslie Turnberg, Baron Turnberg, Labour
* George Weidenfeld, Baron Weidenfeld SDP
* Leonard Wolfson, Baron Wolfson Conservative
* Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf, Crossbench
* David Young, Baron Young of Graffham, Conservative

## People with careers abroad

* Julius Vogel, first Jewish Prime Minister of New Zealand.