JUST before the last General Election, Tony Blair was shouting education, education, education. That is what we must have for our children.

But we are now told we don't have enough teachers, nor do we have enough doctors, nurses and policemen -- all these people are highly trained professional people, who are vital to the running of the country.

Why don't we have them? The Government won't tell us the truth.

The reason is they are underpaid, under-staffed, stressed out with targets to meet and mounds of paperwork.

So they do not have the time to carry out the work they were trained for.

They are also sick and tired of being used both verbally and physically as human punch bags by the general public.

So before paying them the going rate and sorting out all the other problems, the Government would rather fetch in cheap labour from abroad.

I hope these foreign workers will realise that they are being taken for mugs and go straight back home.

We are the fourth strongest economy in the world, so I ask myself -- where is all the money going?

H HAMER, Lowther Place, Blackburn.