WE'VE all heard of paper candidates, but you would think the Green Party would want to save paper.

It could have saved lots on the ballot during last week’s elections in Sonning Common, where prominent Oxford politician Craig Simmons was standing for the Greens.

Mr Simmons is a clever guy, and clearly knew he wasn’t going too well in the safe Tory area.

So, assured of his own failure, he even refused to get up on to the podium to receive the news he had come in fourth and last place.

Still, his choice of shirt at the election count certainly added a touch of colour, even if his politics won’t be adding to proceedings at County Hall.

SOME observers would also question why the Greens would put up a man from the city for the division of Sonning Common, which, Google Maps tells The Insider, is 23 miles away.

Now, surely it would be a little bit much to expect a fellow to have to pedal all that way to see his constituents, so does it not rather run counter to environmental sensitivities to be hopping into a motor and bouncing down the A4074 to the outskirts of Reading for 43 minutes each way?

lSOME candidates were conspicuous in their absence from the county council election count. Lib Dem Roz Smith wasn’t there to watch as she narrowly beat Labour stalwart Dee Sinclair in Headington and Quarry.

The Insider is informed she had the business of her son’s wedding to attend to, and family comes first, we understand that.

But Tory Norman Bolster may have had different reasons for being absent as he had his behind handed to him in the race for the Bicester West seat.

THE win in Bicester West also left Labour with egg on its face after its candidate Steve Sargent was ploughed into fourth place.

The seat was won by Les Sibley, who stood as an independent after Labour decided not to support his candidacy... talk about the past coming back to bite you.

MEANWHILE, many column inches have been spared to talk about “the rise of UKIP”. The party, despite several gains in neighbouring areas such as Gloucestershire and over the border in Bucks where Farage’s fellows became the official opposition, didn’t win any seats in Oxfordshire.

However, maybe that had something to do with organisation on the ground.

One candidate told The Insider that the party had only delivered leaflets in the last few days of the campaign and refused to help with delivery.