A happy new year to all residents and visitors to the city of Brighton and Hove, including Michael Fisher whose factually incorrect letter of December 28 I shall merely put down to a little too much festive cheer on his part.

If he had bothered to check his facts, he would see that I am a resident of this city and, as such, feel perfectly justified in celebrating our success at receiving city status.

However, it being a time of peace and good will to all, I will not start the New Year as Mr Fisher chose to end the old one.

I will simply repeat my hope once again that the Labour Party should fight the general election on policies rather than porkies.

-David Gold, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate