Under fire, Osborne hits back at budget critics

By William James LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne defended his economic record on Tuesday, hitting back at critics of last week's budget which prompted a crisis in Prime Minister David Cameron's party ahead of a June 23 referendum on European Union membership. In his first appearance since welfare minister Iain Duncan Smith resigned in protest at the cutting of state benefits for the disabled and long term sick, Osborne admitted he had made mistakes but defended his plans to cut spen