The former Sports Minister has been approached by Johnson despite him being a Conservative and her a Labour MP.

 

Unattributed quotes had claimed that London 2012 officials had claimed she would be "a total nightmare" because of comments she made during the bid in 2004.

 

Appearing on BBC2's Fighting Talk programme in December 2004 she had said: "The inevitable thing over the next six months will be the hype about London's bid and how we're going to win by miles - the inevitability is Paris will win.

 

"I don't think we are ready.

 

"We don't deserve it and Paris does."

 

But now Moynihan, in an interview published in The Independent on Sunday, has jumped to her defence and denied she is against the Olympics being held in London and that she will be difficult to work with should she be given a role on the London 2012 Board alongside himself, chairman Sebastian Coe and Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell.

 

Moynihan said: "I disagree fundamentally with that.

 

"She is an inspired choice.

 

"Her knowledge of London sport is second to none and she has always put sport above party politics.

 

"Neither do I accept she is anti-Olympics.

 

"I worked with her on a major review for sport and her view, quite rightly, is that the Olympics should not be taking money away from grass-roots sport."