Boris 'war council' to save London

BORIS Johnson unveiled an "economic war council" for London today to help the capital through the financial crisis.

The cross-party group, founded with the new Minister for London, Tony McNulty, will meet regularly to tackle economic issues worsened by the downturn.

Half of businesses in the capital claim to have been adversely affected by the credit crunch and the number is set to rise.

Mr Johnson said: "This committee will ensure that London's voice is heard in Whitehall. I look forward to working with the Minister for London to agree the actions required by central government and its agencies and mine."

Earlier this week, Mr Johnson announced he would help London through the crisis by refocusing £400million from the London Development Agency's budget towards promoting jobs, skills and economic growth. He said he also plans to invest another £600million in skills training.