Boris Johnson will not be putting forward an alternative nominee to chair the Arts Council in the capital after his first choice was rejected.

The London mayor wanted to put Veronica Wadley, the former editor of the Evening Standard, in the £7,000-a-year post. Ben Bradshaw, the Culture Secretary, vetoed this because he felt that her selection had not been in line with principles designed to prevent political interference in public posts.

Earlier this month, The Times revealed that Mr Johnson had recommended Ms Wadley for the post even though she was considered unsuitable by the selection panel.

She had been considered the weakest of the four candidates for the post and was left off the shortlist, but Mr Johnson interviewed her anyway and recommended her to Mr Bradshaw. He was accused of cronyism because Ms Wadley’s newspaper had backed his campaign for the London mayoralty.

Mr Johnson claimed last night that the Culture Secretary’s decision had been “purely political”. In a letter to Mr Bradshaw, he said that he had had no choice but to re-advertise the position. He insisted that he had adhered to the rules. “This was a bad decision and flies in the face of the Mayor’s Government-sanctioned responsibility to nominate the London Chair at the Arts Council,” he wrote.

“Veronica Wadley was the best person for the job — her support for the arts and pivotal role at the helm of a major newspaper mean she is highly qualified to help steer the arts in London through these difficult times.”

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “Keeping this important post unfilled risks damaging the arts in London. The Mayor is subject to a legal requirement to fill it as soon as possible and should do so.”

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