ON a Radio 4 discussion programme recently I heard a speaker say that Britain was now “fracturing”. The word struck home because, yes, I can feel the fracturing myself.

Never have I borne any ill will to a Scottish person. Nor do I now. But I find myself increasing irritated, and indeed angered, by the favours enjoyed by Scotland in relation to the rest of the UK, particularly England. That these favours rest not on any inherent economic superiority of Scotland but a 36-year-old funding formula disowned by its creator shortly before he died early this month, only adds to the sense of injury and injustice.

I don’t suppose the Scots can be blamed for capitalising on the notorious Barnett formula, which delivers 19 per cent more spending per head in Scotland than in England. But what really sticks in the craw is that the formula operates not only historically but spews out fresh gains for the Scots all the time.

It is estimated that the formula has protected Scotland from £600m of recent Government cuts. As hard to fathom as the fixing of the date of Easter, the reason hinges on the way a Government block grant for business rates, a devolved matter in Scotland, is allocated.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has worked out that the cuts fall disproportionately on English ratepayers. The Scots’ benefit of £600m amounts to £113 for every man woman and child – on top of the extra £1,600 per head bequeathed by the basic formula.

During the Scottish referendum, David Cameron was pressed about the Barnett formula. Refusing to scrap it, his chief defence was that, if spread among England’s 55m population, the extra funding now given to the 5m Scots would barely be noticed.

That doesn’t alter the principle, or reduce the Scots’ advantage. But Mr Cameron the other day trotted out the same defence in the House of Commons. He also revealed that, through yet another Barnett loophole, devolving control over income tax to Scotland will immediately give Scotland extra money without an increase in tax rates. Whatever that windfall is spent on – say the Scottish NHS - it will be English taxpayers who have largely provided it.

Mr Cameron added: “It is important for Scottish people to know that if their economy has a bad year they will be supported by England.” They are already – and it is beginning to rankle even over heart and head saying: “One nation is better.”

A pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll on the North York Moors near Captain Cook’s Monument turned into a nightmare for me and my wife. Descending off Percy Rigg back to our car in Lonsdale, we used one of those tracks marked on the map with red dots, which indicate “other routes with public access”.

Off-roaders have claimed this one, their efforts rendering the steep path virtually unwalkable. It took us more than an hour, finally in darkness, to negotiate the less-than-half mile of deep ruts and cloying mud. It is a scandal that unmetalled tracks used by walkers and cyclists can be destroyed in this way. A new visitor to the Moors would never return. National Park authorities should be given strong powers to prevent this very damaging misuse of our National Parks.