Ian Davey says I would be better off lobbying Labour colleagues about the current application by the Portland Hotel for lap and pole dancing until 4am (Letters, December 28).

If he had contacted me or my office either in the constituency or in Westminster he would have discovered that this is just what I have been doing.

Earlier in December I held meetings about the proliferation of such clubs locally with Harriet Harman in her capacity as Minister for Women, with Yvette Cooper as Minister of State for Planning and with Barbara Follett, the Minister for Equality. I also met with Alan McCarthy, the chief executive of Brighton and Hove City Council, the authority that will decide on this particular application.

With fellow Labour MPs for Brighton and Hove, Des Turner and Dave Lepper, we have agreed to put forward a private member's Bill or a ten minute rule Bill, should the council fail in its attempt to bring a private Bill before Parliament.

During the season of goodwill I don't think it would have been asking too much for Mr Davey to have lifted a phone or shown manners enough to email me and ask me what I was doing about this issue. His letter is more in the spirit of political party bashing than it is about pointing to a problem and finding out the truth. Perhaps a new year resolution is in order from Mr Davey - when in doubt, find out!

  • Celia Barlow, Labour MP for Hove and Portslade