With barely disguised glee, the Liberal Democrats are making the most of Labour's 'court shame' in a pamphlet being delivered in the Marston area of Oxford.

Drawing attention to court appearances by former Labour (now independent) county councillor Olive McIntosh Stedman (for dishonestly claiming more than £3,000 in council tax benefit) and Labour councillor Mohammed Abbasi (bound over in court for failing to clear up rubbish dumped outside a property he owns), the Lib Dems are in thunderous form.

"Let down by Labour", "contempt for people of Oxford", "new Labour, new Sleaze," the leaflet proclaims.

It must be nice being the whiter than white Lib Dems: you get good all round views in their lovely glass houses, and there are no nasty stones to trip over.

Not that I am picking on the Lib Dems, but I was heartened to read they have kept their promises and delivered on all five pledges to voters before the last Oxford City Council elections.

They have also made five new pledges ahead of May's polls, because "this is no time to be resting on our laurels".

But what were the five pledges, what are the new pledges? Readers of the latest Marston Focus are left in the dark. The Lib Dems say they have scored 'five out of five', but we award them zero out of five for clarity.

The Insider would like to commend the parking wardens who patrol Oxford's streets with such dedication, ensuring that any infringement is jumped upon with a speed and a ruthlessness that is quite breathtaking.

A source has told me that he was on dog-sitting duties for a friend in a very pleasant part of the city, and, being a sensible chap, made sure the visitors' parking permit was properly filled in for the Friday night, the Saturday and the Sunday. But, as he had to leave at 8.30am on the Monday, thought he wouldn't have to use the permit for that day.

So, the prize for the most on-the-ball, early-rising employee of month goes to the parking warden who slapped a fixed penalty notice on his car at 8.15am that day - just as my source was brushing his teeth.

The Americans look like having a historic choice between the first woman President, the first black President, or the oldest President.

What do we have, as we look towards our own General Election? The first one-eyed Prime Minister, the first Prime Minister called Dave? Or the first Liberal Democrat Prime Minister. All white. All men. America could be choosing a revolutionary new direction. We seem to be going nowhere fast.

The bugging of an MP at a prison in Buckinghamshire has caused a bit of a stir, to say the least, and with it happening on our police force's patch, you must be wondering what they made of it all.

It was with some excitement the Insider saw on Thames Valley Police's website "news" section the following headline: "Response regarding allegations of covert recording at Woodhill prison".

The response? A starchy: "It would be inappropriate to comment" and a promise to help out in the inquiry.

Bit like a broken pencil - pointless.