Freud great-grandson to advise Mayor on jobless

A FORMER investment banker is to advise Boris Johnson on getting more people off benefits and into work, it was announced today.

David Freud, 59, a great-grandson of Sigmund Freud and grandson of Martin Freud, was previously chief adviser to the Government on welfare. He recently defected to the Tories to become shadow minister for welfare reform.

Mr Freud will help implement a £30 million strategy from the London Development Agency to tackle benefit dependency.

Pilot projects will target some of the capital's hardest-to-reach unemployed, such as ex-offenders.

The new approach is based on ideas submitted by Mr Freud in his previous role advising the Government. It will focus on rewarding organisations that help Londoners gain and retain jobs for six months or more.

Mr Freud said: "London has for too long been blighted by high levels of unemployment.

"The recession is not only set to make the problem more critical, but also means we need new ways to ensure that those who are unfortunate enough to lose their jobs get back to work, rather than swell the ranks of the long-term unemployed."

Mr Freud began his career at stockbrokers Rowe & Pitman (now part of UBS) in 1983.