George Osborne accepts 'tough message' of local elections

The local elections delivered a "tough message" for the government, Chancellor George Osborne has said.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Osborne said he took Thursday's results "on the chin", and admitted problems with the presentation of the Budget.

The Conservatives lost control of 12 councils while their Lib Dem partners also experienced heavy losses.

But one Tory backbencher, Nadine Dorries, accused Mr Osborne and Prime Minister David Cameron of "arrogance".

In his article for the Mail on Sunday, Mr Osborne accepted the rash of negative headlines following the Budget, including criticism of the so-called "pasty tax" and "granny tax", was due to the way his plans had been presented.

"I take responsibility for that," he said.

"But that doesn't stop the tax cuts for millions of people contained in the Budget from actually happening and helping families."

He said the government had to "focus on the priorities that really matter right now", and would have to "work even harder" on the economy, welfare, education, the NHS and law and order.

But our political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said the chancellor's article did not point to any great change in direction, which would not please some Tory backbenchers.

Rail link

They want the government to abandon plans for gay marriage and House of Lords reform, our correspondent said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, Tory backbencher Nadine Dorries said some of her colleagues could push for a confidence vote in the prime minister unless there was a change in policy.

"We've had no announcement since Thursday night and since the result came out that the Conservative Party is going to do things differently," she said.

Ms Dorries added that if the party leadership "keep letting the Liberal Democrats hold us to ransom on policy, well then they're going to have to go".

But Downing Street said there was no intention to shelve plans for gay marriage and denied reports that the High Speed 2 rail link could be delayed.

Earlier, Labour's shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said the government was "not doing the right thing" and had "no plan B" to get the economy growing and unemployment down.

But Mr Osborne told the Mail: "Ed Balls and Ed Miliband were Gordon Brown's right-hand men when they got Britain into this mess.

"Now they want to let spending and borrowing get out of control all over again.

"They are like a pair of heavy drinkers trying to wash away problems by opening another bottle."