Refund

According to government statistics the number of people in the UK who pay income tax is 30,700,000. A proportion of tax collected goes to the Department of International Development, essentially a department to dish out overseas aid. In effect this is enforced charitable donation, but very few people take issue with this as, despite our current impoverished status, we are as a nation vastly wealthier than many, and overseas aid is usually money well spent.

Usually.

It now transpires that it was this department that footed the bill for the visit of the pope to the UK. A bill of £1.85 million. Correct me if I am wrong but the Vatican is not exactly impoverished now is it.

Well I want my sixpence back.

Technically this is an old 6d, now equivalent to a little over 2p. Sixpence today, in old money would be 1s/2d. (For you youngsters that's pronounced one an'tuppence)