David Cameron has pledged a personal drive to sell Britain around the world as the coalition struggles to pull UK plc out of the doldrums.

Despite fears that soaring oil costs could undermine the fledgling recovery, the Prime Minister dismissed "cowardly" calls for public spending cuts to be eased.

Instead, he insisted the only way forward was to tackle the "enemies of enterprise" in Britain by cutting tax and bureaucracy, and boost trade.

In a speech to the Conservative spring forum in Cardiff, Mr Cameron said Chancellor George Osborne's crucial Budget in just over two weeks would be "the most pro-growth for a generation".

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

Mr Cameron also said he would be watching banks "like a hawk" to make sure they fulfilled lending commitments to small business.