PRIME Minister David Cameron has waded into the row over £69m of cuts at Oxfordshire County Council, urging senior councillors to "look again" at their budget proposals.

The Conservative MP for Witney claimed the local authority could still be "more efficient" and said selling property and putting up council tax would help raise further cash.

It follows a letter he wrote to county council leader Ian Hudspeth, his Tory ally, last year. It branded the closure of children's centres "unwelcome and counter-productive”.

Since then senior councillors have announced more savings they admit will be "brutal", including scrapping mobile libraries and bus subsidies, reducing funding for the arts, homeless support, road gritting, elderly day services and support for carers.

But in a statement this morning the Prime Minister said: "I understand it will be challenging for councils to make the further necessary savings but I would urge Oxfordshire County Council to look again at its budget proposals.

“Oxfordshire and other councils must continue to reform the way they work to become more efficient, both in back-office functions and in front-line service delivery. 

"Further savings do still need to be made, and with councils accounting for a quarter of all public spending they need to continue playing their part in tackling the deficit left by Labour.

“The recent [government] spending review... made it possible for councils to sell property assets and use the capital to invest in transforming local services – and ensure further savings."

His comments will pile further pressure on senior Tories at the county council, who said earlier this week they were "desperately sorry" about new budget proposals that a coalition of charities called "disastrous".

Announcing further cuts of £69m would have to be made up to 2020, council leader Mr Hudspeth warned the local authority was facing "a very challenging time".

Speaking to the Oxford Mail this morning, Mr Hudspeth said: "The Government has to make difficult decisions to reduce the national deficit and it has always been clear about that aim.

"There is no row. We are two men trying to do very difficult jobs in a difficult situation.

"The county council is using its reserves, selling its property assets and working on co-location with other authorities to become more efficient, so to be quite honest Mr Cameron and I are both saying similar things."