Commenting on the appointment Boris Johnson said: 'Munira is a fantastic person to have on board and she brings a wealth of experience to the role. She has written extensively and with great insight on the arts for many years and will be a big asset to the team. London is currently the world leader in Arts, Culture and the Creative Industries and with Munira's help I want to ensure that our city retains the top position for years to come.

'I look forward to working with Munira in the coming months to deliver my key arts and culture manifesto pledges, including enriching cultural provision throughout Greater London and working with the arts and creative communities to promote access, diversity and excellence in the arts.

ABOUT MUNIRA MIRZA

30 year old Munira is currently on an Arts Council Cultural Leadership Placement at Tate, developing the its training and volunteering strategy. She writes and broadcasts about race, culture and identity, including appearances on BBC 2's Newsnight, BBC Radio 4's Today Programme and in the Guardian and the Daily Mail. In 2005 she presented the BBC Radio 4 series, The Business of Race.

She is co-author of the Policy Exchange report Living Apart Together: British Muslims and the Paradox of Multiculturalism and has edited a collection of essays for Policy Exchange entitled Culture Vultures: Is UK arts policy damaging the arts? She has been a Council Member on the UK Committee of the European Cultural Foundation and is a founding member of the Manifesto Club.