cheque

"I still get a nice cheque from it every year," joked Nick.

The prime minister has said he is "not writing a blank cheque" to pay for a new UK nuclear power plant, after the government announced it would commit £14.2bn to the project.

This was when mining communities in the North East were trying to recover from the bitter year-long dispute, and he handed over a cheque for $20,000.

"I'm living pay cheque to pay cheque as it is," the 22-year-old says.

The paradox is that overall, the government is spending more – big tax rises in the autumn meant hefty cheques for public services.