George Osborne is too obsessed with the 24-hour news cycle and should stop trying to master political tactics in order to concentrate on being chancellor, a former chief whip of the Conservative Party has said.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One Programme on Thursday, Lord Ryder said Osborne needed to be in the Treasury "full time".
"He can't be de-facto chairman of the Conservative Party and chancellor at the same time," he said.
Lord Ryder served as chief whip for John Major in the early 1990s and was economic secretary to the Treasury under Margaret Thatcher.
Osborne has come under pressure in recent weeks to give up his role as chief Tory party strategist, however Lord Ryder said that was the wrong characterisation of his role.
He told the BBC that both Osborne and David Cameron were "obsessed with management of 24-hour news, they are news editors, news managers, they are no strategists".
"He isnt a strategist at all, he is a tactician, this government lacks a strategist." he said. "I think it is important the chancellor steps away from the immediate picture and tries to build a bigger one."
He added: "The Treasury deserves the chancellor to be there on a full time basis and to ensure it develops a proper economic strategy."
Tory backbencher Brian Binley echoed the comments when he told the same programme: "I know that both of those jobs are very heavy jobs and I'd rather George concenrrated on running the economy."
But he added: "I'm not in a position to tell George to concenreate on anything."
However not everyone wants to see Osborne concentrate on being chancellor. Frequent critic Nadine Dorries, the Tory MP for mid-Bedfordshire, said he should instead lose the Treasury job.
"For the sake of country and Conservative party, most trusted politician in UK, William Hague, needs to become Chancellor," she said on Twitter.
The latest round of criticisms of Osborne came after Lib Dem peer Lord Oakeshott said the continued recession meant he should be replaced in No.11 Downing Street by Lib Dem business secretary Vince Cable.
"George Osborne has got no business experience," Lord Oakeshott said.
"He has never worked outside politics. He is doing surprisingly well for a chancellor on work experience. But really in a torrid time like this I think we do need absolutely the best people available."
The former Tory chancellor Norman Lamont told World At One said Cable should tell Lord Oakeshott should "put a sock in it".
"Lord Oakeshott is a bit of a rent-a-quote, usually given to rather unpleasent remarks, which is why he doesn't ave a great following," he said.
Speaking to the same programme defence secretary Philip Hammond dismissed the suggestion that he could be in line to take over as chancellor.
The man who would have been chief secretary to the Treasury in a majority Conservative government said that it would be a mistake to make too many changes at the top of government.
"I think that continuity is really improtant here, we have a clear programme for tackling the defect," he said.