Nick Boles, who was chosen to replace Labour defector Quentin Davies last year, will be Mr Johnson's interim chief of staff for the next three months.

He has taken on the role on secondment from the Conservative implementation team, which is working on plans for introducing the party's policies if it wins the next general election.

Mr Boles said: "I've been lent to Boris by David Cameron. It's very important for the Conservative party because it's the first time we've had chance to show to the British public that we're good at running things.

"For all of us, even the people in Lincolnshire, are looking towards London to see how Boris does."

Last weekend the Sunday Telegraph, in an article Mr Boles said was "absurd", described Mr Boles as "the real deputy mayor".

Mr Boles told the Journal that if he and the Conservatives were successful at the next election he would be keen to take on a ministerial role.

He said: "Whether I got a job in the cabinet would be entirely up to David Cameron. I'd be the new MP - lobby fodder as they say.

"In time who knows? If he wants me to do the job I'd like to do it."

Mr Boles was originally a frontrunner to stand as the Conservative mayoral candidate, but withdrew after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

He was selected as the Conservative candidate for Grantham and Stamford in October.

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