Culture chief 'off message' over Tube drink ban

Munira Mirza is a founding member of a group campaigning against the Tube alcohol ban and in support of Heathrow expansion.

The 30-year-old Muslim sat on the Manifesto Club's steering committee until taking up her £80,000-a-year post as the Mayor's director of arts and culture.

Her group also opposes laws to strengthen the vetting of adults working with children and has encouraged universities to give a platform to far-Right speakers.

Ms Mirza's close links with the libertarian group, listed in her City Hall biography, is likely to be embarrassing for her new boss. His proposal to ban alcohol from London's transport network, which comes into force this weekend, was a manifesto pledge.

A posting on the Manifesto Club's home page says: "We support all those who oppose the new Mayor's ban on drinking on the London Tube."

It links to comments by Ms Mirza's fellow founding member Brendan O'Neill, who adds: "Boris wants his booze ban to demonstrate that he will be tough on anti-social behaviour and singular in his determination to restore respect, good manners and possibly cap-doffing to the streets of London.

"In fact, the ban reveals that, post-Ken, petty authoritarianism and distrust of the London masses is still rife in City Hall."

The Manifesto Club's policies are also at odds with Mr Johnson's campaign against Heathrow expansion. Its website says: "We should not apologise for flying. On the contrary, we should celebrate the freedom that flight can bring us.

"Whatever the practicalities, the future must lie in expanding flight provision, not cutting it back."

Mr Johnson's spokesman said: "There isn't any tension between Munira's role as director of culture and her association with a group that has certain views on issues which don't really touch on her policy brief.

"She is convinced that there is no significant difference of view between her and Boris on the issues she is directly responsible for.

"There is nothing in that particular role that should undermine her ability to do her job to the satisfaction of the people of London and the Mayor." The Manifesto Club opposes too much regulation of adults who come into regular contact with children, in particular laws introduced after the Soham murders to protect children from paedophiles.

"We argue for a commonsense approach to child protection, that recognises the value of informal interaction between the generations," it argues.

It was also supportive of the Oxford Union for inviting Holocaust denier David Irving and BNP leader Nick Griffin to speak. The site says: "We believe that no speakers should be denied a platform on principle."

Ms Mirza's appointment was seen by many as an attempt to neutralise accusations that Mr Johnson has used racist language in the past, especially as he seeks to slash grants to ethnic groups.