The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is planning to have a close relationship with the new London mayor in order to make the city a 'pre-eminent destination to live, work and do business'.

Director of the CBI in London Nigel Bourne says that whoever wins the elections faces three challenges in respect to business in the capital - timely and effective delivery of Crossrail, implementing the skills strategy and preparing for the 2012 games.

In addition, the new mayor will have to take into consideration crime and climate change considerations, Bourne comments.

'Irrespective of who wins … we will be supporting a can-do approach to tackling London's many challenges and will be looking for genuine engagement and partnership between business and the mayor's office,' he adds.

The CBI has identified seven business priorities for the new mayor: improved transport facilities, a commitment to a greener city, regeneration, creating a safe and secure business environment, exploiting the opportunities of the 2012 games and world-class governance.