These Tories can be really quite cool. As well as being a looker, Nicola Blackwood, the party's prospective Parliamentary candidate for Oxford West & Abingdon, lists the Kings of Leon, Michael McIntyre and Come Dine With Me among her favourite things on Facebook, the popular social networking site.

Meanwhile, Ed Argar - who is not to be confused with Edward Agar, the conspirator in Michael Crichton's 1975 novel The Great Train Robbery - who is standing against Andrew Smith in Oxford East, is less interesting.

He's from Kent.

lIt's heartening to hear that Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell has been spending most of the run-up to today's county and European elections in his own back yard dealing with householders who’ve been dishing out grief on the doorstep as a backlash against the indiscretions of national politicians.

We know, after separating the wheat from the chaff on his election blog, he quickly gets into a tizz when anyone dares to mention the expenses word, but other subjects have been the cause of spats.

While out in Adderbury recently he said: “A lot of people are welcoming, recognising me as their county councillor and holding out the hand of welcome.

“There are a few negative responses: A grumpy old disabled lady who tells me I failed to help her; a few people who link greedy MPs with local councillors in a totally different position - but, thankfully, only a few and a crusty old knight of the shires who disapproves of my support for a much needed community facility in exchange for a few greatly needed houses on the edge of the village. You will never win them all...”

Apparently there's an election on today - and, if there is any justice, it will rain between the polling hours of 7am until 10pm.

Seriously, we urge everyone who is eligible to get out and register their vote. Rain or shine.

It's about the only time you'll ever get a chance to have a say in politics.

We very much like to think of ourselves as traditionalists here at Insider Towers and generally turn a blind eye to advancements in technology.

However, here’s a techno conundrum for you. Although it’s election day today, the laid-back folk at County Hall have decided not to count votes on the same day they are cast.

Instead the results will be revealed tomorrow when the authority goes all 21st century and uses the micro-blogging service Twitter to announce them.

You can even get each result text to your mobile. Go on, we dare you to sign up. Visit twitter.com/oxfordshireCC Politics is an odd beast, madder than a box of frogs, especially at the moment. What with all the comings and, more importantly, goings at Westminster currently, what price a return to the Government for Andrew Smith, the Labour MP for Oxford East?

Mr Smith, so often labelled by his rivals as Gordon's man in Oxford, left his Cabinet post as Work and Pensions Secretary in Tony Blair's administration in 2004 to “spend more time with his family”.

Can it really happen? Well, stranger things have happened.

Margaret Beckett was once foreign secretary, remember.