London: British Prime Minister David Cameron has hosted the annual Diwali party at his official residence here extending greetings to over 8,00,000 Hindus living in the UK and thanking them for their contribution to the country. "This festival of lights is an important time to celebrate our shared history and thank you all for all that you do for our country," said Cameron, as he made his way to a mini temple stacked with deities and Indian sweets below a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, yesterday. "It is a good thing my kids are not here because they would have decimated those sweets right away," he added on a lighter note. The Opposition Labour party, meanwhile, had its own Diwali celebrations at a venue just a few metres away where party leader Ed Miliband expressed his hope that he would be celebrating the festival as Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street next year. At Conrad Hotel in central London, Miliband echoed his message of the important contribution made by the Hindu community to British life while stressing how his was the "best Diwali party in town".

"Britain is a stronger country because of our diversity and we are here to celebrate a very special time of the year," he said. But his central message was geared towards Britain's next General Election scheduled for May 2015: "We have a big fight for the future and the stakes are high for our communities. Next year we will be celebrating Diwali from a very special place." Diwali celebrations have become an important event in the UK but this year they assume greater significance as the main political parties try to attract crucial British Asian voters. The ethnic minority vote, which accounts for 11 per cent of the country's population, is expected to play a defining role in 2015. A study by the cross-party Operation Black Vote group had found the number of seats where black and Asian voters could decide the outcome had rocketed by 70 per cent compared with the 2010 election.