The cabinet minister responsible for tourism urged all parties to work together to win the vital millions needed to revive the Madeira Terraces during a visit to Brighton.
Culture Secretary Karen Bradley spoke out as she took a look at progress at the Saltdean Lido where restoration work is under way.
Mrs Bradley said: “Tourism is such an important part of the local economy. We want to keep places beautiful and vibrant.”
She praised the improvements at the Lido since she last visited Brighton and said that decline and decay said something about a place.
And so did the sort of work taking place at the Lido which was as much a statement of intent about Saltdean and the wider community. It is due to reopen next month.
She said: “I’ve seen the Lido before but the work hadn’t started. Simon has raised the Lido a number of times, in letters and in meetings that we’ve had. He’s been a champion for Brighton and Hove including Saltdean.
“And Simon was keen to point out the Madeira Terraces to me. The Madeira Terraces is the sort of thing we’d like to see lottery money go to. There are various pots – not just the lottery.
“At DCMS (the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) we give our money out through arms-length bodies like the lottery and Visit Britain.
“Where you’ve got local champions like Simon making a noise, that’s where you get really good bids.
“But the most effective lobbying campaigns work best where you’ve got the local council and the MP or MPs working well together.
“A seamless campaign creates the best chance of success.”
With the Madeira Terraces, where the council is responsible, it was important to have the backing of local MPs, she said, even if they were not in the same political party.
“This is a place where we’ve seen a coalition of chaos in action,” Mrs Bradley said. “There have been candidates standing aside. They’re taking the public for fools. They think they know best – not the voters.”
She came to Brighton to campaign for her Simon Kirby, a fellow Conservative and the party’s candidate in Brighton Kemptown. He won the seat from Labour at the 2010 general election and held it two years ago with a reduced majority.
Mr Kirby said: “The fact that Karen is here show how important this seat is to Theresa May’s government.
“All three seats in Brighton and Hove will be very close and how people vote here will make a difference.”
Mrs Bradley: “If it’s not Theresa May as prime minister, it will be Jeremy Corbyn. People do really need to come out and support Simon as Theresa May’s candidate in Brighton Kemptown or Jeremy Corbyn could be elected.
“I came down to help Simon out before the last election. And I was back for the last home match at the Amex.”
Afterwards, Mrs Bradley, who grew up living above the pub run by her parents, went to the Cricketers in Black Lion Street with Mr Kirby. He’s no stranger to the pub trade either, having previously run a local pubs and clubs chain.
During her visit yesterday (Friday 12 May) she visited Brighton Marina.
She also found time to talk about Brighton’s digital ambitions, particularly its part in testing 5G technology.
But she acknowledged that the innovation was taking place even though not everyone was yet benefiting from superfast and ultrafast broadband.
Again she emphasised the role of local authorities such as Brighton and Hove City Council – and the Greater Brighton Economic Board – in pushing progress.
Mrs Bradley said: “We rely on local authorities to drive the delivery of this sort of stuff. You can’t just flick a switch and everyone will have even superfast broadband. What’s needed is different in different places.”
She said that – like tourism issues and financial services – digital technology was one of the key areas on which she was contacted regularly by Mr Kirby.
And, as with financial services – Brighton Kemptown is home to the European headquarters of American Express – the digital sector was crucial not just locally but also to the national economy.
Absentee Conservative MP Simon Kirby ACTULLY in his constituency?
There must be an election!
Yet again we find there are other avenues of funding but it would appear Council Officers do not know of its existance.By the way The Terraces are of far more importance to The City than the Lido,how many visitors would visit the Lido?
confiscate all the drug money from the local drug dealers – tax the landlords who rent to the drug dealers and prostitutes and then tax the rich who own the seafront properties but do not live in them – 200% council tax for keeping an empty property while the homeless kip in the street and deal drugs and collect dole money from the job centre funded by the taxpayers who commute to London on a £5 grand a year ticket on a late train- Brighton is the pits!
Good to see Kirby campaigns vociferously for his Conservative Party’s £400 per per pupil per year cuts to Brighton and Hove school budgets.
Hopefully, if elected, Kirby can help support Theresa May’s Grammar school policy and send 80% of the city’s pupils to second class secondary modern dump schools?
Until recently, the only expressions of interest in the Madeira Terraces from Simon Kirby came via press release. When the time came to deliver with the bid to Government for funding, he let us down.
He won last time claiming credit for funding for the hospital, which was earmarked long before he became an MP.
I’m voting for Lloyd Russell-Moyle, someone I know I can work with for the good of the city.
2 years and counting Warren why are Your Officers not able to use the right channels for seeking funding.Its time to stop blaming the Government.By the way who was it that actually decided yo waste over half a billion pounds on a project that will take 10years and by then other parts of the Hospital will become outdated.A Brand New Hospital could have been built on the outskirts of The City.It is The Royal Sussex after all.I am sure one of the Unis would have been able to utilise the Sussex in its former State.
Karen and Simon’s teeth. Terrifying.