And who is the Sheriff of Nottingham? This was the question asked by the chief executive of one of Italy’s leading energy companies after the government last week proposed a windfall tax on the profits of energy companies. Giulio Tremonti, the Treasury minister, has nicknamed it the “Robin Hood tax”.

The answer, at least for Mr Tremonti, is obvious – all those oil companies and other energy groups that are benefiting from record oil and energy prices are playing the wicked Sheriff’s part by squeezing the poor.