There's an argument going on within Brighton and Hove City Council about the best way of running the culture industry.

But there can be no argument about the significant and growing impact of culture on the economy.

Until now, culture has always had its own department but that is being disbanded.

Leading Labour councillor Ian Duncan has resigned as chairman of the culture committee, saying it is being downgraded. He has received backing from Tory culture spokesman David Smith.

Chief executive David Panter says culture will now have a high profile. We will be able to judge whether this is so in six months or a year's time.

The council has an important role to play. It owns many of the venues for culture and subsidises aspects of it.

But the amount it spends is completely dwarfed by the millions of pounds coming into the city every month through culture.

If you include tourism, sports and clubs, and most people do, it is as important to the local economy as financial or public services.

It's easy to scoff at spending on culture as being elitist and wasteful. That sort of criticism was particularly vehement during the City of Culture campaign.

But much of it is short-sighted and petty. Brighton and Hove has shown it can have fun and make money at the same time. Part of its future success depends on that continuing.