Boris speaks up for City
BORIS Johnson yesterday launched an impassioned defence of the UK banking sector by labelling governmental attacks on the sector as “nuts”.
The Mayor of London’s comments are a sign that he is not yet ready to shrug off his self-styled mantle as the City’s “champion”.
“I think it is completely nuts for people to want, as a matter of public policy, to attack the financial sector,” he said, speaking at the Google Zeitgeist conference yesterday.
“We need a great City where business can raise capital in order to expand and I will continue to protect that,” he added, though he admitted bankers have made “huge mistakes”.
Johnson’s comments come after Vince Cable, who is notorious for his anti-bank stance, was made business secretary.
Labour’s Alan Johnson, the former home secretary, yesterday emerged as a possible 2012 mayoral candidate.