The lovely luvvy told MPs that teachers just need to be loved and he’d like to give them all a great big hug (or words to that effect). But his mission to bring a little healing to education is not confined to schools. He’s also trying to spread a little love among the comrades.

That at least is the conclusion we draw from a couple of comments he made which alost gave some present a fit of the giggles.

Asked about the problems of having six different teaching unions, he said they might seem fractious, but the funny thing was, they all got on really well.

“The level of harmony, the level of agreement is extraordinary,” he said. “The status quo kind of works. From the outside, it’s kind of nutty, but around the table, it kind of works.”

That, kind of, doesn’t quite tally with hacks’ experience. Still, it’s a lovely idea. And if you say it often enough, it might come true