Even in the new Greater London Assembly, representing a city in which one-third of eligible voters are non-white, just two of the 25 members are black.

Dadabhai Noaroji: Voters ready for a non-white MP

Some Labour Party complain that little has changed in the century since the UK's first non-white MP, Dadabhai Noaroji, took his seat in the Commons.

Shortly before voters elected the Indian-born liberal in 1892, the Prime Minister Lord Salisbury declared that the country was not ready to elect a black man.

Mr Noaroji was joined three years later by another Asian, the conservative MP, Sir MM Bhownagree.

Then Shapurji Saklatvala was elected in 1922.

Enoch Powell won over London dockers with his anti-immigration stance

And that was that for another 65 years, despite the changing ethnic make-up of the population.

Trevor Phillips, who chairs the Greater London Assembly, told the BBC's Newsnight that Labour risks alienating voters unless it redresses the balance.

"When we think of the Labour heartland voter, I think the mythology still has it that it's a white, blue-collar, maybe a bit elderly, and certainly predominantly male and what we used to call working class.

"It's true that that heartland vote is still working class, but certainly in city where I live - and I think a lot of other British cities - that vote is black or brown.

"And the most important thing is that it principally thinks of itself not as poor or working class, but as black or brown."

Asian rival

Birmingham is certainly part of this new heartland. People from the Caribbean, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan began migrating to the area in the 1950s, and now make up 20% of the population.

Shapurji Saklatvala, first and only black MP for 65 years

In the past three years, Labour has lost five council seats to the Justice Party, which was formed to campaign for independence for Kashmir from India.

The party is now attempting to broaden its appeal, handing out leaflets criticising the government for not investing enough in the inner city.

Amir Khan, a former Labour councillor, says Justice Party candidates will stand in Birmingham, Bradford and Sheffield.

"We hope that even if we don't win it, the Labour Party will lose it."

But Arun Arora, of the West Midlands Labour Party, says the Justice Party poses little threat.

"They've recently changed their name because they're realising that people are getting wise to the fact that they're simply a one-issue party without any broad interest in the community that they allegedly represent."

Blacks in 'white' seats

Shahid Malik is a member of Labour's National Executive Committee and a wannabe MP on his third attempt to get a seat.

Some in the party hierarchy believe that non-white candidates should not stand in predominantly white constituencies, he says.

Oona King says an MP told her it was odd for blacks to stand in white areas

"There's a suggestion that if you were to get a black or Asian candidate - be they the most competent - that that would still have a negative impact when it came to the polls.

"(They think) on voting day, people would look at colour, would look at names, and that would have some influence on the way they voted."

Labour cannot adopt a system similar to the all-women shortlists - although successful in helping redress the gender balance. Such radical lists were ruled illegal.

The Labour MP for east London's Bethnal Green, Oona King, wants the party to introduce affirmative action.

"If the aim is a representative democracy, then we should have these targets."

She also believes local party officials need training to overcome the perception that it would be bizarre for a black or Asian to stand in white areas.

Labour is considering adopting such a policy, which is backed by the Cabinet Office minister Ian McCartney.

"I personally think it's time to give it consideration - that's why we've set targets in the civil service."

Operation Black Vote claimed 20 marginal seats could be swung by putting up black or Asian candidates - 20 seats that could make the difference between winning and losing the next general election.