Doncaster MP Ed Miliband pays tribute to "extraordinary" mum after death at 91

Marion Miliband – the mother of Labour politicians Ed and his brother David, and wife to historian Ralph died earlier this week, the family announced earlier today (Saturday).

In a joint statement, the brothers said: “We are very sad to announce that our mother Marion has died aged 91. She lived a full and extraordinary life with a spirit of the utmost kindness, warmth and generosity.

“Her life had a remarkable trajectory, from the childhood trauma of the Holocaust in Poland to safety and joy in Britain.

“She became a teacher, campaigner and a passionate advocate for justice.

“Marion was a force field of life and love-a dearly beloved mother, grandmother and sister. We will deeply miss her but will carry her spirit and values with us always.”

Marion Kozak was born in the Polish town of Czestochowa on December 22 1934, the daughter of wealthy Jewish parents Bronislawa and Dawid.

In 1939, when the Nazis took control, the Kozaks' factory was commandeered and transformed into a munitions plant.

In the town, an estimated 2,000 Jews were murdered by Germans on the spot and another 40,000 were transported to the gas chambers at the Treblinka extermination camp.

Polish nuns in a convent took the Kozaks in and hid them from the Germans.

Kozak, also known as Maria, refused to reveal where or when this took place. She also credited the "kindness and generosity of acquaintances in Warsaw" for her survival.

She arrived in the United Kingdom at the age of 12 and earned a PhD in 1976. In 1961, she married Ralph Miliband (1924–1994)

In 2009, David Miliband, in his capacity as the foreign secretary, expressed his thanks to the Polish people for having saved his mother during the Holocaust.

During an official visit to Poland he said: "My mother was born here, her life was saved by those who risked theirs [by] sheltering her from Nazi oppression".

In his 2012 Labour conference speech as leader, Ed said: “I believe that we can overcome any odds if we come together as people.

“That’s how my Mum survived the war. The kindness of strangers. Nuns in a convent who took her in and sheltered her from the Nazis, took in a Jewish girl at risk to themselves. It’s what my dad found when he came to these shores and joined the Royal Navy and was part of Britain winning the war.”

Kozak and Ralph Miliband married in 1961.

Her background and politics were similar to his, and she had a comparable, though less high-profile, career as an activist and academic.

In 1965 David was born, followed by Ed in 1969.

A long-standing human rights campaigner and an early activist for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, she was also a long-standing supporter of left-wing pro-Palestinian organisations and was a signatory of the founding statements of both Jews for Justice for Palestinians (founded 2002) and a supporter of Independent Jewish Voices (launched 2007).

It was reported that Mrs Miliband died in London on May 27.