A RARE moment of sunshine at an otherwise uninspiring Oxford City Council meeting this week came during an impromptu Labour Party history lesson from Independent Working Class Association leader Stuart Craft.

Mr Craft, a disgruntled former Labour supporter who left to set up his own party championing the working classes, attacked New Labour councillors, saying party forefathers Kier Hardy and Nye Bevan "wouldn't give you lot the time of day".

During the exchange, Labour's Northfield Brook councillor Carole Roberts said: "Who?"

RATHER like waiting for a bus, you wait ages for a Labour minister to appear in the city then two appear at once.

Within days of each other, Baroness Scotland and Hazel Blears both rolled up in Blackbird Leys for photos with city councillors and Oxford East MP Andrew Smith.

The cynics among us wonder if there are local elections around the corner.

THE Insider is not impressed with Witney MP David Cameron's attempts to showcase his green credentials.

You may recall from last week that he set off with a group of huskies to the remote research station of Ny-Alesund on the island of Spitsbergen, Norway, to see for himself the effects of global warming.

But not before contributing to it himself, it would appear.

Mr Cameron made part of the mammoth journey to the Arctic by car and private jet for what really only amounted to a photo opportunity to make himself look and probably feel cool.

And as for his search for an eco-friendly car, he is months behind Labour.

Oxford Lord Mayor Bryan Keen was one of the first to get a Toyota Prius and that was in 2004, Dave.

AMATEUR referee and Labour city councillor Ed Turner, an early favourite to succeed Alex Hollingsworth as group leader, has had his transfer request accepted by the Football Association.

Mr Turner had just received confirmation from the FA that he was to take charge of the Oxfordshire Schools Under-18 Cup final in Cowley next Thursday the highlight of his fledgling career but has been forced to pull out because it is, of course, local election night.

"I'm gutted," he told The Insider. "I told the FA months in advance that I was busy on that day. Although I'm not up for election, we work as a team and I'll be working in the hope I just might be able to persuade a couple more people to get out and vote."

OUTGOING Oxford City Council leader Alex Hollingsworth's legacy could be to cut the city from the apron strings of Oxfordshire County Council as he does his utmost to secure unitary status before he quits politics next week.

"If we get the go-ahead it's the end of Oxfordshire as a county, it's as simple as that," he told The Insider .

Which doesn't spell good news for Keith Mitchell and his friends at County Hall, does it? Sadly, we were unable to establish the views of Mr Mitchell on the subject because he didn't return our calls.