Eschewing the personal abuse favoured by some of your correspondents about the work we do through the Economic Partnership, let's look at some of the economic facts about our city.

Compared to 1998, there are 9,000 more people in employment and the number of unemployed has fallen a staggering 42.8 per cent.

Average household income has increased by more than 20 per cent and is now marginally higher than in the UK as a whole.

Wages have also increased faster than in the rest of the country.

In an economy with a proportion of traditionally low-paid jobs, the minimum wage has made a considerable impact on the condition of the poorest.

No one, however, denies we have problems to tackle.

While an unusually high proportion of city dwellers have university degrees (29 per cent), too many still don't have enough skills.

Congestion is far too high in the city, despite having the country's most successful bus company which has increased its passenger numbers by an average of five per cent per annum during the past decade.

And, of course, house prices have risen sharply.

Cradled between the Downs and the sea, protecting our natural environment means we have very little land to develop for jobs and housing.

In that context, a "tall buildings" strategy makes very good sense. Brighton and Hove is buoyant.

Where once there were just holes in the ground for many years, now there is a new library, the burgeoning station development, Trafalgar House, the City Park development, the Avalon building on West Street, plans for the Marina, King Alfred, Black Rock and the Brighton Centre, all of which will provide jobs and affordable housing.

Not to mention that, following a discussion at the EP, with the help of unions, the local authority and City College, the city has started the Constructing Futures and First Footings training projects to ensure that local building workers have the skills necessary to get the jobs in these major projects.

We support these new developments energetically. The public sector is simply not building houses in any significant way in our area. The private sector is.

With the support of The Economic Partnership, Brighton and Hove City Council is able to hold developers to providing an unusually high proportion of what they build as affordable homes for key workers such as teachers, police and nurses.

Confidence in the city is high. In the Eighties the retail vacancy rate in the city was nearly 15 per cent whereas it is now less than four per cent. VAT-registered businesses in the city have increased by 23 per cent in ten years and the seafront, which was semi-derelict 15 years ago, is now a major asset.

The Economic Partnership will continue to argue for development that contributes to jobs and homes for local people. No amount of name-calling by those who wish to see the city stand still in the face of international competition will stop us.

Brighton and Hove will thrive if we continue to enhance its reputation as a tourist city, an unusual shopping attraction, a conference destination and a place to do business which can attract the most prestigious employers and retain the significant leading UK employers we already have, such as Amex, EDF Energy, Legal and General and Lloyds TSB.

-Simon Fanshawe, chair, and Tony Mernagh, executive director of the Economic Partnership