Education secretary Michael Gove, who should be counted among our more thoughtful and sincere top politicians, is famous for expressing strong personal views as to why Germany should bear historic responsibility for causing World War One.

But this latter-day AJP Taylor's own department has also been embroiled in certain skirmishes, which, while not having the same internecine implications as those in the Balkans region a century ago, could equally spark into unwanted and unforeseen conflagrations.

A fortnight ago, Mr Gove was forced to interrupt his Sunday afternoon to deliver a public statement to the effect that his special advisers had not parked Blue-coloured tanks on the lawn of Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw.

HMCI Sir Michael told journalists he ‘was spitting blood' at the news two right-leaning think tanks, including the Gove-founded Policy Exchange, were both preparing reports criticising Ofsted's inspection regime.  Among other sins, Ofsted will be accused of stifling innovation, making inconsistent judgments and advancing outdated progressive ‘child first' teaching methods.

Mr Gove succeeded in pouring oil over troubled waters, praising the regulator and stating any official caught briefing against Sir Michael would be sacked.

Then last weekend, Ofsted's chairwoman, Baroness Morgan, took to Radio 4's Today programme to complain the decision not to renew her three-year tenure was politically motivated.  Tony Blair's former gatekeeper said the issue needs to be looked at by cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, the most senior civil servant, and the Cabinet Office.

The appointment of quangocrats is always an opportunity to dust off old ‘Yes minister' scripts.  And the jokes remain the same.  Jobs for the boys, and now the girls.  A whiff of chummery pervades the process, despite a complex system reforms instituted by John Major in 1995, in which the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) plays a central role.

But in fairness, Labour had a distinct advantage from 1997 onwards and three quarters of public appointees with declared political affiliations are Labour supporters.  But this is most probably because Labour party members are more likely to apply in the first place.

But to paraphrase another Conservative historian, Winston Churchill, apropos the Balkan nations at the Versailles Peace talks, Mr Gove is in danger of producing more history than he can consume.