IT WAS Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell’s last stand this week, or his last full council meeting as leader, at least.

And councillors across Oxfordshire have been singing his praises.

Even Labour group leader Liz Brighouse paid tribute to him, calling Mr Mitchell, right, a “difficult act to follow”.

But one very senior Tory was left stumped when asked if she wanted to follow suit.

Baroness Warsi, the party’s chairman, was visiting the city yesterday when she was asked if she wanted to say a few words.

Her face went blank, she looked around and said: “I didn’t know Keith was resigning.”

When Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood confirmed that he was indeed leaving his post, Lady Warsi kindly offered to email us a tribute.

As his final full council meeting as leader drew to a close, the man himself tweeted “Kind tributes and a standing ovation at the end of my final County Council as Leader of the Council. Quite an emotional rollercoaster!”

Given his outspoken remarks over the past decade, it has been a rollercoaster for all sides.

Before the meeting he tweeted: “My last County Council as Leader today! Will the world be watching? Will it heck!”

If it had been, Mr Mitchell would have loved it.

The very outgoing leader has always revelled in making the headlines – most recently trading verbal blows with Oxford author Philip Pullman over library cuts.

And the proud Thatcherite has made a number of pointed remarks dismissing retirement – so it begs the question, where will he surface next?

Police Commissioner Mitchell or Keith the local library volunteer?

“Oiks” beware.

David Cameron met comedians at 10 Downing Street last week – and we’re not talking Francis “Jerrycan” Maude (who was educated at Abingdon School. Not sure what his science grades were like...).

The guests of the Prime Minister and Witney MP were John Bishop and David Walliams, who were being congratulated by the PM on their 2012 Sport Relief fundraising efforts.

However, the success of Mr Maude’s unique marketing ploy did not go unnoticed. One South Oxfordshire farm put up a sign at the gate reading “Egg shortage soon, please panic buy”.

The British obsession with the weather was in full bloom on Twitter this week as the spring sunshine came to an abrupt end in Oxford.

But tweeters on the ground seemed to be at odds with each.

“Incredibly,” wrote a BBC reporter, “there are a few snowflakes falling in Summertown.”

But a city-centre shopkeeper had opined at almost exactly the same time: “It’s raining. Not – I repeat – NOT snowing.”

To add further confusion a local listings website chimed in with the succinct: “Hailstorm in Summertown!”

To be fair to all, an Oxford Mail journalist reported seeing rain, snow and hail in short succession as she travelled back to the office.

British Summer Time has officially started.