The £10 billion east-west railway link proposed for London has received a boost from Tony Blair in a TV interview. But London mayoral election opponents of Ken Livingstone have reacted angrily to the PMs statements.

Blair’s views, expressed in a London Tonight interview last week, came the closest the government has yet come to giving the green light to Crossrail. “Now, there are genuine issues as to how you fund [Crossrail] …but I don't think there's any question of us not doing them,” Blair said. “These are investments we cannot afford not to make and, if we don't make them, then London will suffer in the future.”

The prime minister had said there were issues about how to fund the link between Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf and the £1bn extension of the East London line but he said that the funding would "have to be found".

The PM said it was not just a matter of the bid for the Olympics. “We were well aware before we ever made the bid that transport will be one of the issues,” he said, “but that's why it's important we continue the investment in transport and why we make sure that these projects of huge significance to London get done.”

Angry candidates

London mayoral election opponents of Ken Livingstone reacted angrily after the TV interview saying that the Prime Minister appeared to be sailing close to the legal wind and boosting Ken Livingstone’s chances.

Under election rules, governments are not allowed to further the prospects of candidates by making announcements during the official period of election campaigning.