CHANCELLOR George Osborne insisted that his government’s long term economic plan is working for Bolton during a flying visit to Horwich.

But Mr Osborne warned that any deviation from the Tories' plan could result in people in Bolton paying “a very high price”.

The chancellor was visiting businesses in and around Winter Hey Lane in Horwich and meeting Chris Green, who will be aiming to take the hotly-contested Bolton West seat from Labour at the 2015 general election.

He met business owners during a sit down in the Home Bakery and Cafe Latte premises and told The Bolton News that, while he feels his government has turned the country and Bolton’s economic fortunes around, there is still a lot of work to do.

He said: “I am the first to say that the job is not done and the first to say that families need to feel more of the benefit of the growing economy — that is absolutely central to our mission.

“Unemployment has come down 25 per cent in Bolton West since the election, and we’ve seen jobs created and businesses that were threatened with closure and bankruptcy now growing and taking more people on.

“When I think about the situation 5 or 6 years ago in Bolton where unemployment was up, the country was on the verge of bankruptcy and the economy was in a total mess, we have changed that around and the long term economic plan is working for Bolton.”

The Tatton MP couldn’t resist a swipe at the local Labour party, adding: “What is the alternative?

"The Labour party here in Bolton and across the country are offering a return to square one, back to unemployment, back to bankruptcy, back to seeing their country getting poorer.

"We have been able to set out this long-term economic plan and if we don’t work through that plan and continue what we are doing, then Bolton and the rest of the country will pay a very high price.”