Cameron vows to save the economy

The Prime Minister shrugged off controversy over his recent trade tour of North Africa – when he was criticised for including arms companies in his delegation – as he vowed to go on selling Britain to the world.

In his speech to the Conservatives’ spring conference in Cardiff he threatened to haul into Downing Street bureaucrats and regulators who threaten to stifle small firms as the Government puts its full focus on sparking an economic recovery and declares war on the “enemies of enterprise”.

And he warned banks he would be watching them “like a hawk” to ensure they live up to promises to increase lending to small and medium sized businesses.

Businesses and political opponents have criticised the Government for lacking a plan for the economy other than cutting spending, but Mr Cameron said: “So you want to know my strategy for growth?

“When people say ‘spend loads more money’ I say forget it – Labour spent it all.

“There’s only one strategy for growth we can have now and that is rolling up our sleeves and doing everything possible to make it easier for businesses to grow, to invest, to take people on.

“Back small firms. Boost enterprise. Be on the side of everyone in this country who wants to create jobs, and wealth and opportunity.”

But he denied the Government would simply cut tax and regulation and be “getting out of the way”.

“An enterprise government is an active government using its power and clout to open up new opportunities for business,” he said.

“While there are contracts to be won, jobs to be created, markets to be defended – I will be there.

“If it’s making sure Rolls Royce engines are in the world’s planes, I’ll be there.

“If it’s making sure skyscrapers in the Gulf are designed by British architects, I’ll be there.

“I’ll be there not just because it’s my job, not just because it’s my duty, more than that – because I passionately believe – no, I know that this country can out-compete, out-perform, out-hustle the best in the world and I’m going to use every last drop of my energy to make sure that happens.”

Mr Cameron insisted the Government had a “credible” plan to balance the books, and said ducking decisions on spending cuts would be “the cowardly way”.

With some on the party’s Right wing still uneasy about sacrifices being made in the coalition with the Liberal Democrats, Mr Cameron used the occasion to offer them some comfort with a fierce defence of the first-past-the-post voting system ahead of May’s referendum on whether to change it.

He also quoted the two great Tory icons – Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher – to back up his drive, and launched a fierce criticism of Labour for burdening businesses with soaring regulation and leaving the economy in a “dreadful mess”.

“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,” he said. “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.”

But last night Labour hit back. Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, MP for Morley and Outwood, said if David Cameron wanted to know the real enemy of enterprise and growth he only needed to look next door at Chancellor George Osborne’s whose “reckless plan” to cut too deep and too fast had seen the economy go into reverse.