BoJo appoints BA Chairman as adviser

BoJo salute

Boris Johnson - Kyoto opponent and lover of gas guzzling automobiles - has pulled together a list of people to advise him on making London a 'world class global city'. Who's in? Step forward BA Chairman Willie Walsh, the rabid supporter of Heathrow expansion who won't be happy until the whole of West London is one giant airport.

Silly Willie isn't someone I'd trust for advice: last year he was infamously rebuked for telling the entire British Airways 'Executive Club' that the third runway would reduce emissions (something to do with stacking, apparently), and his airline is about to pay out lots and lots of wonga after agreeing to rip off passengers by price-fixing fuel surcharges with Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic.

But the six million dollar question is: what advice will Walsh be giving? We already know the answer to that. Walsh is addicted to expanding Heathrow, and is unlikely to agree with BoJo's support for a new airport in the Thames Estuary. His whole argument centres on making London a world class global city - just the remit of Boris's committee. During the election the mop-on-a-bike signed up to a cross-candidate statement against expansion - doubtless to appeal to the Tory-voting West London residents. Is a volte-face just around the corner?