Now FErret prides himself on remaining impartial on all matters political.

Not difficult at the moment, a cynic might suggest, given that the general incompetence on display by Labour and the Tories is equally hefty. But he does have a soft spot for shadow education secretary Angela Rayner.

There aren’t many plain-speaking, northern, 38-year-old grandmothers in the Palace of Westminster. And while there were plenty of smirks when she was promoted to the shadow cabinet in the midst of the (failed) coup by the parliamentary Labour Party, Rayner very quickly made her name for herself as a talented and effective politician.

But the main reason FErret has a crush on Ms Rayner is that she is a former college student, having studied British sign language, care and counselling at Stockport College as an adult learner.

FE is now ‘flavour of the month’

And it shows: in contrast to the ignorance towards the sector displayed by the army of bright-eyed young graduates swanning around the Department for Education, she gets FE.

In the 2017 general election campaign, she pledged to “end the historic neglect of further education”, and stressed that the sector deserved a day “where somebody, a politician in power, said ‘you are just as important’” as schools and universities. Hear hear!

And FE featured in spades in the Labour manifesto pledges, including making adult education free at the point of use and bringing back the Education Maintenance Allowance.

So, given that FE is now flavour of the month in the DfE at the moment, what with T levels, apprenticeships, the National Retraining Service and all that, FErret’s hopes were high that St Angela would up-the-ante at the Labour Party conference this week.

‘Rehashed pledges’

He was, however, left bitterly disappointed. In Rayner’s speech, she rehashed the (admittedly admirable) pledge to make further education free, and wheeled out plans for a lifelong learning commission (also featured in the 2017 manifesto) once more. And that was about it.

FErret was distinctly underwhelmed. Not least given that Sir Vince Cable has already unveiled his own stellar commission on lifelong learning back in June.

Given the febrile atmosphere in Westminster at the moment, the prospect of a snap general election should be taken seriously.

And Labour will certainly need to up its game on the policy front. Jeremy Corbyn may have won a lot of goodwill by becoming for the first leader of the opposition to speak at the Association of Colleges conference back in November, but - as shadow FE minister Gordon Marsden is fond of reminding us - warm words butter no parsnips.

It’s time for Labour to up its game.