DID you catch Capital of Culture: The Other Story on City Talk last weekend? It was presented by Jason Harborow, the former Chief Executive of the Culture Company. He left in acrimonious circumstances before the festivities began.

Jason ended the programme with the assertion that the show was "never about settling old scores". Well, you could have fooled me, because for the previous two hours I had listened to Mr Harborow trying to prompt most of the major Capital of Culture players into supporting a series of propositions that had "old scores" written all over them.

To give a man two hours of radio airtime to restore what he perceives to be his battered reputation is questionable on editorial grounds.

However, it was a great listen for anyone who is interested in the politics that nearly derailed Capital of Culture.

The major figure missing from the programme was Phil Redmond. I imagine he was asked to appear. If he was and declined, I can understand why.

One of the recurring themes of the presenter was that Mr Redmond had taken all the credit for the success of Capital of Culture while he, Jason, had been airbrushed from history.

It was suggested to George Howarth, chair of the Parliamentary Capital of Culture Group, that "Phil did a wonderful job, but used it to build his own profile and not just in the interests of Capital of Culture." "That’s uncharacteristically cynical of you, Jason," replied Mr Howarth.

Bob Scott, who headed the bid, tried to let his inquisitor down more gently when Jason again complained that Redmond had got all the credit.

"That’s the world," sighed Mr Scott, before concluding that Mr Harborow had fought too publicly over his departure.

It’s no doubt a tribute to Jason’s charm that he managed to get such an impressive cast on his show. The biggest coup was Mike Storey, the former Liverpool Council Leader. The pair have been engaged in a very public scrap over how details of Mr Harborow’s health got into the papers. Cllr Storey again denied leaking, but observed that the media fed on inside information, which was just what this programme was about.

Away from the personal point- scoring, the programme dealt with some of the major issues that made the path to 2008 so rocky. It is amazing that Robyn Archer was ever made Artistic Director. Many of the show’s guests had a hand in the appointment but now agreed that Liverpool, with its vast pool of local cultural talent, should never have appointed an outsider.

There was clearly a major struggle to reduce the size of the board and to prise financial control of the event from the city council. Bryan Gray, chair of the North West Development Agency confessed that "if we hadn’t got our act together in September, 2007, we’d have blown it."

We didn’t blow it and Jason Harborow played an important part in the success. Now move on.