Papal Visit: Kick The Pope Off Welfare

An item in The Financial Times today; 'Cost of UK papal visit rises to £10m'.
"The first state visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the UK will cost the taxpayer up to 50 per cent more than previously expected, the government revealed on Monday. Chris Patten, the former Conservative minister who has been asked by the government to take charge of planning the September visit, said it would now cost between £10m and £12m, up from the previous estimate of £8m."
Lord Patten said: “Those [previous] estimates were made in good faith..."
Funny thing faith, innit?
Thank god that the group Protest The Pope are protesting this hate preacher being given a state visit.
In other news, an article in The Guardian Online today launches Coalition of Resistance.

"It is time to organise a broad movement of active resistance to the Con-Dem Government’s budget intentions. They plan the most savage spending cuts since the 1930s, which will wreck the lives of millions by devastating our
jobs, pay, pensions, NHS, education, transport, postal and other services.
The Government claims the cuts are unavoidable because the welfare state has been too generous. This is nonsense. The national debt is only so large because of the £800bn banking bailout. Ordinary people are being forced to
pay for the bankers’ profligacy.
The £11 billion welfare cuts, rise in VAT to 20%, and 25% reductions across government departments target the most vulnerable – disabled people, single parents, those on housing benefit, Black and other ethnic minority communities, students, migrant workers, LGBT people and pensioners.
Women are expected to bear 75% of the burden. The poorest will be hit six times harder than the richest. Internal Treasury documents estimate 1.3 million job losses in public and private sectors..."

To re-cap, government departments are to cut spending by 25%.
While government spending on the papal visit is to increase by 50%.
Can you do the math/s?