The anti brigade who dislike any form of enterprise really have it in for those who supported Brighton and Hove's bid to be European Capital of Culture.

Hardly a day goes by without a sneering and self-righteous comment from someone who knew it would fail and that anyway, it was all put on for luvvies from London.

I was also fairly sure it would fail and so, I fancy, were most of the people who put forward the bid. Brighton and Hove had little chance besides those who made the shortlist.

With the exception of Oxford, they were all far bigger and better backed. Yet I don't suppose there was the same snivelling and griping going on in cities such as Newcastle, where there is real civic pride.

Yes, it was a serious bid by a resort which probably has a bigger proportion of its employees engaged in culture than anywhere else in the UK. But the point was to have a lot of fun along the way.

One thing Brighton and Hove really does know how to do is to put on a party. Fatboy Slim's concert was far too big but other events such as the fireworks in Preston Park were wonderful attractions.

It's easy for the critics to say the bid was a waste of civic money, that it was simply an excuse for councillors to go to elitist events and that Brighton and Hove should concentrate on basics such as getting people off the dole.

But culture is not simply opera, ballet and paintings.

It is far broader than that and the events put on during the year (they have not finished yet) were nearly all chosen for their broad, popular appeal. The money spent by the city council, £150,000, was backed by £300,000 drawn in from other sponsors.

As for the jobs, many of the new posts being created in the city are in culture. Apart from the railways, there never was much heavy industry in Brighton and Hove and it's best for the city to concentrate on its merits.

You only have to look at other resorts to see how successful Brighton and Hove has been. Look at Bexhill and Hastings, which did not seize the initiative for conferences when Brighton and Hove did.

Now the city by the sea sees the arts as one means of continuing its revival.

At a regional conference held on Tuesday in Brighton, there were some impressive facts and figures to back up this approach.

The culture-based economy, including the media, is growing far faster than almost any other sector in nearly all parts of the South-East.

The Brighton Festival is expanding year by year. Brighton University is celebrated for its arts-based courses. Brighton and Hove is home to some of the most dynamic media companies in the UK.

Of course I would like to see another American Express pitch up in Brighton. But even with all the incentives in place such as assisted area status, it simply isn't going to happen. The city has to look elsewhere for growth and culture is proving promising.

There is much more that can be done. Tory councillor Geoffrey Theobald only this week pinpointed deficiencies in the sports strategy for the city - and culture casts its net so wide these days that sports is included.

But with the redevelopments at Black Rock and the King Alfred, some of the most glaring gaps will be filled.

There are many other battles to be won in Brighton and Hove. The city has to build on its reputation as a financial centre. It must tackle the housing crisis and schemes are needed to tackle traffic jams.

But the importance of culture cannot be overestimated.

Herman Goering said when he heard anyone talk about culture, he reached for his revolver and there are many latter-day Goerings who would like to get shot of city culture.