A HIGH-POWERED group of City financiers has been drawn together by Boris Johnson, the London mayor, to ensure the capital does not lose its status as a world financial centre.

The committee will be led by Bob Wigley, a top banker at Merrill Lynch, and will include the chief executives of four of London’s most important financial institutions: John Varley of Barclays, Andrew Moss of Aviva, Manny Roman of GLG and Philip Yea of 3i.

In addition it will include John Griffiths-Jones, chairman of KPMG; Helen Weir, head of retail banking at Lloyds TSB; Lord Levene, chairman of Lloyd’s of London; and David Lewis, Lord Mayor of London.

Johnson said: “I am keen this group finds out exactly what the leading industry players think and makes clear recommendations to all those concerned with upholding one the UK’s most important economic sectors.”

He added: “It’s vital that the capital retains its competitive edge.”

Wigley, chairman of Merrill Lynch Europe, Middle East and Africa, and his team will work with the City of London Corporation.

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