Normally, when I have a little rant at home about the latest political outrage, my wife, who is, shall we say – less politically optimistic then me – gets an instant headache and has to go lie down for half an hour and only fully recovers after a nice cup of tea and a Johnny Depp movie. I, of course, have to bite my tongue and rage silently.

It should also be noted at this point that my wife doesn’t give a hoot about football either, which is why it came as quite a surprise to me today when she suggested buying some English flags to fly from the car – not, you understand because of the impending World Cup, but because she has finally come out of her Scottish ancestry closet and joined the ranks of the angry English. What is more, I have learnt that she has been spreading the word through various bulletin boards and forums she subscribes to and attempting to subvert and recruit other politically ‘inactive’ people to the cause. The Norfolk side of her family tree would be proud!

This comes on the day when the latest figures show that our Scottish Chancellor and Scottish Prime Minister spend 22% more per head on Scotland than they do the English. To be precise:

Spending per person in Northern Ireland was £8,898, £8,096 in Scotland, £7,509 in Wales and £6,623 in England in 2005-06.

Once again, you will notice, England – that our government does not even recognise as a ‘nation’ – raises by a long way the largest share of the tax pot and receives the smallest state rewards. I repeat what I have said before – it is English tax money that sends Scots to university with no top up fees to pay; that gives them free prescriptions and eye tests; that makes necessary drugs available to all that are not made available to us in England. And if you are English – you are the ones paying for it. And you should be bloody angry.

I ask anyone reading this to become like my wife. Don’t worry about joining movements or political parties. Just spread the word. Recruit someone. Make them aware of the injustice. Point out to them that the three main political parties of the UK are led by Scotsmen who make decisions for England that, more often than not, do not even apply to their home land.

And fly the flag of St. George. And – if you’ve got a dog, well – you could always buy them a new coat – just like we have.