Simon Fanshawe's statement that giving £500 of my own money to the Brighton and Hove Unemployed Workers Centre is "selfish" shows exactly how away with the fairies he is.

However, in simple words, I shall try to explain to him why I, the centre and the majority of ordinary people in Brighton and Hove are against this bid.

With each alleged "change for the good", this city has become heaven for rich, incoming, London media luvvies and hell for poor, indigenous workers, as property prices go through the roof.

The increasing inability of key workers - doctors, nurses, teachers, bin men - to find housing here has caused the deterioration of our public services to a grotesque degree. The Brighton working class have become the lowest-paid people in the South East as seasonal/service jobs become their only means of existence.

Meanwhile, rape crisis centres and Citizens Advice Bureaux close when their council grants are pulled, only for the money to be thrown at "cultural" pursuits.

The hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on first the bid for city status and now the culture bid are taken from our council taxes, and should be going where we want them to go - not on providing jobs for crap actors.

There's enough culture in this place. Let's start thinking about real life now - and that means decent services and proper jobs.

Yes, I may be a rich ex-London media luvvie myself but, unlike Fanshawe, my two best friends in Brighton are a cleaner and a waitress so I know all too well how the other half lives.

He's right about me being able to give more, though, which is why I have given another £250 to the anti bid. I'll give the other quarter the day after the bid is defeated and we'll put it towards a street party to dance on the grave of Simon's sad, vain, dreary dream.

Then we can get on with building a real Brighton and Hove for real people and not just a tacky, Toytown playground for London luvvies.

-Julie Burchill, address supplied