Business leaders and MPs across the political spectrum have backed the campaign by Green MP Caroline Lucas and The Argus to make Brighton and Hove ‘super connected’.

The ‘Let Brighton Bid’ campaign is calling on Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, to allow the city to bid for funds to gain ultra-fast broadband.

Bosses say without the next generation of broadband services, firms will fall behind their competitors.

Evan Pugh, creative director at Butchers Hook Video in Grand Parade, Brighton, said super-connectivity was vital to his business.

He said: “We consistently suffer from slow upload and download speeds in Brighton.

“We need to send our clients our work in progress so we need the speed to be as fast as possible.

“We are competing with firms that have access to the fastest speeds so we must not be left behind.”

Digital hotspot

Phil Jones, managing director at Wired Sussex, an organisation of digital and new media companies based in New England Street, Brighton, criticised Mr Hunt’s decision to limit the competition only to cities with more than 150,000 dwellings.

Brighton and Hove has 125,000 dwellings.

He said: “This is an artificial measure.

“We are recognised as a digital hotspot.

“This is about helping cities to grow more, to employ more people, to create future-proof jobs.

“I think it would be a tragedy if we were not allowed to bid. Jeremy Hunt needs to show some flexibility.

“It is great that Caroline Lucas is backing us. That’s fantastic news.

“I want to see cross-party support for this.”

Julia Chanteray, president of Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce, said the campaign had the chamber’s full support.

She said: “Our city is a global leader in the digital industries and our ability to compete internationally with the best would be greatly boosted by the introduction of ultra-fast broadband.

“It could make a huge difference to Brighton and Hove businesses and so we will be joining Dr Lucas and The Argus in lobbying the Secretary of State, for the right to bid.”

Hove MP Mike Weatherley and Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown, are backing the campaign.

Follow the campaign on Twitter by following the #LetBrightonBid hashtag.

Show support

Tell us why you are backing the Let Brighton Bid campaign.

To have your say fill in our online form at theargus.co.uk/news/brightonbid

Comments will be forwarded on to the culture secretary and published in The Argus in print and online.

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