HOW many Conservatives does it take to send a letter? Quite a few, by the looks of things.

Oxfordshire’s Tory high command got itself in a lather after The Insider last week suggested the race for Oxford City Council’s Headington Hill and Northway seat was a two-horse race between Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

It prompted an emailed letter from Ed Agar, the Tory prospective Parliamentary candidate for Oxford East, saying it wasn’t.

But only after a little help from some friends, bless him.

And we know, because he managed to press ‘forward’ sending all the correspondence that went before.

Whoops!

First an email was sent from Keith Mitchell, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, right, to Matthew Barber, a district councillor, entitled Insider Column, which said: “I hope you give him hell if you can!!”

I assume he means me?

The email was passed to someone called Sarah Sproat who, with input from someone called Paul, sent it to Mr Agar.

In it, Sarah suggested Ed write a letter saying how “the Conservatives are basically amazing (which is true)” and that Marc (Borja, the Tory candidate for the vacant seat) would be “a fantastic councillor”.

After a few emails had ping-ponged between Ed and Sarah, Ed finally managed to pen a letter.

But, based on what had gone before, we cannot be sure he wrote any of it all.

Just in case you should ever reach Parliament, we do have one tip for you, Ed – be careful about forwarding emails.

WORD reaches us that the architect behind the Bonn Square revamp has revisited his masterpiece – and was less than impressed by what he saw.

But he must have a keener eye than most.

Our spy tells us that on close examination of the paving, which consists of small smooth-surfaced blocks placed next to rough-surfaced blocks, he found a number of the same type of blocks laid next to each other.

Builders have since painstakingly rectified the mistake, we are told.

WHAT has Swindon got that Oxford hasn’t? Well, a league football team for a start, the job of sorting out the city’s post once the Mail Centre at Cowley is shut, and, astonishingly, soon it will be home to the world famous Bodleian Library’s book depository.

It looks like Oxford University has had the last laugh on those who opposed its plans for a depository in the city – notably Oxford Preservation Trust.

FINALLY, a word of praise for the work that is going on along a stretch of the Thames between Osney Lock and Folly Bridge to bring the towpath up to scratch.

It has, shamefully, been out of service for years but is slowly being repaired – hopefully in time for the summer.

Wishful thinking? Watch this space.