Cameron To Fight 'Enemies Of Enterprise'

Ruth Barnett, political reporter

David Cameron has vowed to fight the "enemies of enterprise" in an effort to drag the UK economy out of the doldrums.

The Prime Minister told the Conservatives' spring forum he wants to make it easier for people to start their own business and will get rid of some of the rules and regulations that stand in the way.

He blamed Labour for suppressing enterprise since 1997, joking that even his baby daughter Florence knew that "tax and regulation" was holding the country back.

"Someone joked to me the other day that the biggest growth industry in Britain this past decade has been the people writing the rules," Mr Cameron said.

"But actually it's no joke.

"Every regulator, every official, every bureaucrat in government has got to understand that we cannot afford to keep loading costs onto business because frankly they cannot take it any more.

The enterprise culture is alive and well. Now we just need an enterprise government to go with it.

David Cameron

"And if I have to pull these people into my office to argue this out myself and get them off the backs of business then believe me, I'll do it."

Among his proposals is a plan to encourage government departments to award more contracts to small and medium-sized firms.

"There is no shortage of enterprise in this country," he told delegates in Cardiff.

"I see it in the ideas and energy of all the entrepreneurs I meet - British people selling curries to India and fashion to France.

"The enterprise culture is alive and well. Now, we just need an enterprise government to go with it," he added.

Mr Cameron added that he would also be watching the banks "like a hawk" to make sure they fulfilled lending commitments to small businesses.

His coalition has come under pressure to demonstrate it does have a plan for encouraging growth and creating jobs.

I suspect the Tory rank and file care more passionately about the threat to their party from AV than some senior politicians.

Sky's political correspondent Jon Craig

At the end of last year, the economy shrank by 0.6%, raising fears the economic recovery had stalled.

Labour has accused the Government of implementing spending cuts that are too fast and too deep.

But Mr Cameron also defended these, saying not to cut would be "cowardly".

He also used the speech to call again for Libya's Colonel Gaddafi to step down, saying the Conservatives would continue to "intensify pressure" on his regime.

Chancellor George Osborne has also insisted he has implemented the right policies for the UK economy and has no plans to change course.

He told Sky News he had a "credible" policy that has been endorsed by "almost every international organisation you can think of".

"What we’ve bought for ourselves, with the very large mess in the public finances I’ve inherited, is breathing space, stability - the things that Ireland and Greece don’t enjoy," he said.