The cultural habits of politicians are a fascinating subject. Who could have predicted Nick Clegg's devotion to Samuel Beckett, or David Cameron's unlikely love for the new-wave sounds of the Jam, or Gordon Brown's admiration for the Arctic Monkeys? (Not even Brown, it turned out.) Now, in the New Statesman's annual pre-Christmas "A year in books" special, we reveal the literary choices of Labour's lead double act - the Wallace and Gromit of the left, the two Eds, Miliband and Balls. One has chosen the weepy bestseller One Day, a novel beloved of book (and focus?) groups. The other has picked The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, a vibrant fiction about a young, gay writer in 1930s Mexico. Pick up a copy of this week's magazine to find out who chose which book . . .