BORIS Johnson has accused Jim Murphy of picking a fight with Londoners.

The London Mayor said Labour's policy of using a mansion tax and bank bonus, raised mainly in London, to fund nurses and youth jobs in Scotland was "grubby and divisive"

Mr Johnson said: "Jim Murphy seems determined to pick a fight with hard working Londoners. He's sowing division where we need unity.

"We need to grow all our great cities not diminish one in the mistaken belief it will help grow others. Using London as a cash cow is playing the politics of divide and rule and it's grubby."

Mr Murphy was unapologetic.

He said: "I am not going to stop standing up for the best interests of Scotland because it offends Boris Johnson. It's no surprise that a Tory Mayor is getting upset about a Labour plan to get thousands of young Scots a job.

"The reality is that we can raise taxes on those who have the most to redistribute across the whole of the UK to those who need support."