Ask anyone on the street, which is the most vital spending necessity: the school, the hospital or the strip club. Most people would plump for the school or the hospital, especially if they have their other half with them at the time.

However, new government statistics reveal that in reality, we're leaving them to go to rack and ruin, while our spending on strip clubs and betting shops rockets.

The figures are based on the number of establishments that have opened or closed since Labour came to power, and they make for shocking reading.

Those institutions we supposedly value the most are going to the dogs. The number of schools have fallen 10% - after over 2,000 closures. Meanwhile the number of hospitals have fallen 32%, after almost 600 closures.

Some of the others in the list include:

Post Offices, down 39%
Police stations, down 8%
Public toilets, down 23%
Libraries, down 6%

Meanwhile, those on the increase, include lap-dancing clubs, up an alarming 1,150%, with the opening of 276 clubs.

Other booming businesses include:

Drive-through restaurants, up 53%
Large supermarkets, up 49%
Betting shops, up 39%
Casinos, up 27%
Nightclubs, up 26%

So what does this tell us about modern Britain?

It depends on where you stand. If your a gambler who likes to watch women get their clothes off, before eating a meal in their car, then there has never been a better time to be British. The modern era of instant gratification is upon us.

If you ever plan to be ill, or have children, or see a police officer, or travel less than five miles to post a parcel, this is a terrible sign that our priorities are pushing out these vital services in favour of chasing the cash.

Ask anyone on the street what they think, and they'll say the latter. However, their spending priorities would reveal a different story entirely.