WHEN asked for their opinion on last week’s county council elections, one prominent politico remarked that Oxfordshire had ‘received a blue rinse’, a comment on the increased number of Tory county councillors.

But we suspect word from within Tory high command is that the elections were an almighty disappointment.

For the umpteenth time since the party took overall control of County Hall in 2005, they failed to elect anyone to represent them in the city of Oxford (having failed in the Oxford City Council elections of 2006, a handful of by-elections and last week).

While they increased their number in areas outside Oxford where they knew they could rely on support, they fell flat in the one place they really wanted to break through.

‘Until the Tories elect someone in Oxford,’ the esteemed politico remarked to The Insider, ‘they remain a rural mafia’.

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You have to laugh at the odious British National Party and its small following of oiks. While some political commentators and MPs concern themselves that the party managed to return a whopping two MEPs to Brussels after the European elections, its leader, Nick Griffin, still can’t hold a proper press conference, even an impromptu one.

On Tuesday, Griffin tried to speak outside Westminster, but was halted when protesters hurled eggs at him (above).

The Insider is a lover, not a fighter, but if this is what is going to happen every time the BNP calls a press conference then no one will get to hear him speak. And that’s got to be a good thing, right?

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We suspect, as we have said on so many occasions, next year’s General Election will probably come down to personalities, which is deeply worrying, especially for Labour.

We appreciate Gordon Brown is a towering politician, but it is generally accepted he has the personality of a cashew nut, an inability to connect with the public.

It has been said listening to him is like listening to a weather forecast – and soon after being asked what it is going to be like over North Wales, people just switch off.

Reshuffling his Cabinet isn’t going to help matters, either.

No, what is needed is more unelected representatives in Government. And big personalities, to boot. Chuck peerages at Susan Boyle, Simon Cowell, David Beckham and The Insider. Promote them to the high offices of state, and get rid of the rest of them. Trust me. It might just work.

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DON’T get too excited about the Westgate Centre revamp just yet. Bulldozers might have knocked down the Duke of York pub in Oxpens, prompting rumours the £330m revamp had started, but until the eyesore that is the Westgate car park comes down, the revamp is most definitely on ice. The time to get excited is when a temporary car park goes up in Oxpens.

Why? Because someone will have to pay for it. Call us cynical, but until then, knocking down a derelict pub is simply a canny PR exercise.