Cherie writes off Paris

Olympic ambassador Cherie Blair has dismissed Paris's chances of winning the 2012 Games - and insisted they will come to the capital. At an event to encourage London's cultural elite to back the bid, Mrs Blair said London had nothing to fear from Paris, and lightheartedly rejected its claim of cultural superiority.

She said: "We are going to win the bid. Paris? What does Paris know about culture? New York? No contest. London is the cultural capital of the world. Of course we are going to win - how can we fail?"

Mrs Blair's words underlines a growing determination that London should emerge victorious when the host city is announced in Singapore on 6 July.

She was speaking at the Royal Festival Hall, in front of representatives from the Tate, the Rambert Dance Company, the Arts Council, The Royal Opera House, the South Bank and the Society of London Theatres. Guests included Michael Grade, Melvyn Bragg, Royal Court director Ian Rickson, and Orange Prize founder Kate Mosse.

Mrs Blair said: "I believe our full proposals - across sporting venues, transport, volunteering, culture and education - really will create an amazing Olympic and Paralympic Games. This is something that could reach out to every kid in London and say something positive to them."

Her comments came only 24 hours after Paris municipal chiefs revived the two cities' ancient rivalry with a series of barbed comments.

Unveiling their 20-year Local Urbanism Plan, the Parisian authorities said they wanted to prevent la Londonisation of their city - meaning an city sharply divided between the rich and poor.

Paris's councillor in charge of housing, Jean-Yves Mano, said: "I don't want Paris to look like London, with a very wealthy population on one side and a very poor population on the other."

Paris city council claims its central area is far livelier and more diverse, with a greater mix of shops, restaurants, cultural facilities and people. However, Londoners were quick to refute the claim that their inner city was only for the very rich or very poor.

The revival of Notting Hill, Kennington and other previously rundown areas has reversed the flight to the suburbs. "The Parisian view of

London seems a bit out of date," said Darren Johnson, the Green Party group leader on the London Assembly.

Both cities have their share of problems, with the divide between rich and poor, expensive housing and the question of how to assimilate immigrants. But London tourist chiefs say only the British capital, with its noise, exuberance, inventiveness, glamour and eccentricity, can claim to be a true world city.

Taking food as an example, Richard Harden, of the Harden Food Guide, said: "London scores magnificently in the range and quality it offers of everyone else's national styles of cooking. In terms of scale and variety, its only obvious competitor is New York."

Meanwhile British people living in Paris said they loved their adopted city but could not deny its shortcomings.

Fashion designer Sara Reddin said: "When it comes to social matters Paris, and France in general, is in the early Eighties. They are starting to introduce reforms like equal rights watchdogs but I haven't seen any black politicians."

Additional reporting by Sam Lyon and Toby Rose.