Political row over campaign for £420m revamp of Brighton hospital

A political row has broken out over the campaign for a £420 million revamp of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Warren Morgan, leader of the opposition Labour group on Brighton and Hove City Council, has accused Simon Kirby, the Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown, of doing little about the matter until recently.

Councillor Morgan said that Mr Kirby had started campaigning only when the delayed decision about funding was about to be made.

Mr Kirby accused Councillor Morgan of sour grapes and said that he had consistently campaigned for money that Labour had failed to release when in government.

Councillor Warren Morgan

Mr Kirby said: “Labour Party members’ attacking comments on Twitter and elsewhere about my campaign to have a new hospital for Brighton are simply sour grapes.

“They now realise what a big mistake they made supporting the hospital protest on Saturday (2 November).

“Any reasonable person will know that I have been consistently campaigning for the money Labour failed to release to come to Brighton to build a new hospital for everyone’s benefit.”

Councillor Morgan, who represents East Brighton ward on the council, said on Twitter: “I’m not playing party politics but you must account for your reasons for taking up this campaign now after an 18-month delay.

“There is scant evidence of any efforts on your part until the 18-month delay is about to end.

“The decision was due in April 2012 and building work was meant to be well under way by now.”

Mr Kirby said that he had brought Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin to the age and state of the hospital for himself in July.

He had presented a petition from constituents to the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and pressed David Cameron on the subject at Prime Minister’s Questions.

He had also met the Chancellor earlier this year and liaised closely with hospital staff including the chief executive.

Simon Kirby

He added: “My hospital campaign is about bringing the community together to make a strong case to the government for funding to be released.

“It is a shame Labour cannot get behind the campaign as I think something which is so important to the city should be above party politics.

“However, to accuse this government of dragging its feet is bizarre when Labour had 13 years to give Brighton the hospital it deserves.

“As the Prime Minister has said to me: ‘I know that this is a matter close to your heart and that you have put a great deal of work into representing the views of your constituents.’”