COLUMNIST Rob Merrick asks where are the protest songs (Echo, Nov 25). Protest howls are loud enough.

It is time that everyone realised the hole this country is in, regardless of when the rot set in, is so great as to be above party politics.

Perhaps we could have agreement on facts and figures as facts and figures. How much has the banking collapse cost this country to date? Is it £73bn? If so, that cannot be blamed for the annual budget deficit that has been the norm for many years much less the National Debt, whatever colossal figure that is. What is the current annual budget deficit and how has it moved over the years?

Are we world leaders in education with ever-improving results, or are we sliding down world league tables? What jobs are all of our young going to do when they emerge from university with spurious degrees?

Instead of knocking everything the other side says or does it is time these pundits offered real solutions. Perhaps Mr Merrick can get Tony Blair/Gordon Brown to spell out how and when they planned to repay the debt. If they had any real idea I for one would like to hear it.

PR Davies, High Coniscliffe, near Darlington.