FORMER Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell has demanded better support from the Government for Conservative councillors.

In an open letter to David Cameron, Mr Mitchell said: “I am very disappointed to see Oxfordshire County Council (your own backyard) move from a majority of 30 to a hung council due to the lack of one seat and in a single leap.

"I am afraid there is a real issue of perception here. It extends in several directions and it is a perception of leadership.”

“You need to work out how to be one of us,” Mr Mitchell warned the Prime Minister last night.

He accused Mr Cameron and others of appearing to voters as “out of touch” and called for action.

He identified a series of areas where progress needed to be made.

It comes after the Tories lost control of the county council last week for the first time since 2005.

Mr Mitchell, who stood down as a councillor last Thursday, also said his successor, Ian Hudspeth, could run a minority administration after the elections left him one vote short of an outright majority.

In the letter to Mr Cameron, published on his blog, Mr Mitchell said: “You have to work out how to be one of us without affectation or silly gimmicks and to speak the language of Joe Public.

“I understand how hard this is and the conflicting pressures on you, but people want a clearer and stronger style of leadership that speaks the language of conviction and leadership.”

He also addressed Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps and communities and local government minister Eric Pickles, calling on Mr Shapps to better appreciate the contribution made by local councillors.

He added: “I think you need to realise that local councillors are your stormtroopers.

Meanwhile, Mr Mitchell said a minority administration in Oxfordshire was possible, but he said Mr Hudspeth should not rule out working with independents.

He said: “They’re one vote short, it’s not a lot. You can still usually manage to get most of your business through like that.

“I think they have to go on as a minority and do the best that they can, but in the meantime explore these independents.”

The number of independents went from one to four after the elections, while Labour won 15 seats, the Liberal Democrats 11 and Greens two.

Mr Mitchell blamed Labour victories in North Oxfordshire, Witney and Didcot on a surge in UKIP votes.

“A lot of our voters voted UKIP as a protest. They were on the right for us and they were unhappy with Cameron’s metropolitan policies, such as gay marriage.

“But the result was to let Labour in which is exactly the opposite of what they wanted.”

His remarks were challenged by Mark Cherry, who won in Banbury Calthorpe for Labour.

He said: “A couple of years ago I went to see Mr Mitchell speak about the cuts, but he seemed very uncaring. Admittedly, UKIP was a factor in the election, but so was the fact I spent six months knocking on 3,000 doors.”

Mr Mitchell admitted Labour’s campaigning in the north of the county had been more effective than in previous years, and said the party – now the official opposition after it overtook the Lib Dems – had a wider representation.

He said Mr Hudspeth would have to work hard to convince voters to back his party in the next county elections in 2017.

Mr Cameron, Mr Shapps and Mr Pickles declined to comment on the letter.

  • To read what Keith Mitchell wrote to David Cameron and other high-ranking Conservative officials, see today's newspaper.