David Cameron has sought to build bridges with the business community by launching a new fund to help budding entrepreneurs.
The Conservative leader annoyed commercial leaders when he dropped out of speaking at the CBI conference at short notice and appeared to distance himself from traditional Conservative business-friendly approaches.
Cameron was being joined by the first 'apprentice' winner Tim Campbell to launch a fund aiming to give millions of pounds to help budding entrepreneurs.
The Conservative chief gave his backing to "social enterprise" schemes of the kind being launched.
"There is a new spirit of creativity in our country. We politicians need to match this with a new spirit of our own – tearing down the barriers which stop people founding businesses of their own," said Cameron.
"But only when people themselves – as businesses and neighbours – take responsibility for their own communities, will we build the Britain we all want to see: prosperous, safe and socially just."
