Jowell today was trying to play down her comments made to leisure industry bosses at a dinner earlier this week.

 

She had told them: "Had we known what we know now, would we have bid for the Olympics?

 

"Almost certainly not."

 

But when Johnson addressed 25-strong cross-party London Assembly at his monthly question time session he claimed her comments were ill-advised and that the Olympics could act as a catalyst to help stop Britain slipping too deep into recession.

 

He said: "In the current economic climate, I believe London is extremely fortunate to be hosting the Games in 2012.

 

"They will bring the world to London, raise the city's profile, provide a focus for a broad range of policies and hopefully encourage young people in the capital to aspire to great sporting achievement.

 

"The case for the Games - if anything - is stronger in difficult times and I believe that the development under way in the east of London will prove a vital shot in the arm for the city when it needs it most.

 

"This unprecedented level of investment will deliver iconic buildings, major improvements in transport infrastructure, crucial housing and beautiful parks - all of this in a part of the city neglected for decades."

 

Hugh Robertson, the Shadow Olympics Minister, also criticised Jowell and said that if there was the perception that people were unhappy about the £9.35 billion costs of the Games then it was the Government's own fault because the original budget had been £2.4375 billion and had nothing to do with the current economic climate.

 

He exclusively told insidethegames: "Tessa Jowell is wrong to say that we should not have bid for the Olympics if we knew that a recession was on the way.

 

"London 2012 is a fantastic opportunity to showcase everything that is best about this country and deliver a tangible and enduring legacy across a wide range of areas.

 

T"he reason that people are so sensitive about costs is that initial budget was so badly miscalculated - and that is fairly and squarely the fault of Government."