The chancellor has renewed his pledge to promote an enterprising Britain.

Speaking at the launch of the "Enterprising Britain" competition, Gordon Brown said next November's pre-Budget report would "do more to remove all the old barriers holding the enterprising back".

"For too long, in too many areas, for too much of our recent past, enterprise has been seen as something for someone else, for a small elite," he said.

"People thought the opportunity to start a business, to become self-employed, to make their ideas happen, was, somehow, not for them.

"So we must rebuild a truly enterprising culture in Britain and we must open up enterprise to all."

And with the next spending review announcement imminent, the chancellor said that his statement would "reflect these priorities".

"Indeed I have studied the submissions of the spending review and what is remarkable is the consensus from unions to management; from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to the regions of England south and north that enterprise, along with science, innovation and skills, must be an investment priority for government," he said.

"And in each case we should commit ourselves to the long term - resisting the old stop-go in spending that has done so much damage in the past."

The chancellor also highlighted encouragement for business start ups as a key government priority.

"I want us to create a Britain of ambition where what matters is not where you come from but what you aspire to - and where business creation is encouraged," he vowed.

Brown also reiterated his vision of creating a US-style "enterprise culture" in Britain.

He said that the UK "must now prepare for the next round of enterprise reforms", including removing barriers to enterprise, devolving business support to the regions, and bringing enterprise into schools and universities.

"At every stage - whether for companies starting up, investing, hiring, training, seeking equity, exporting - our aim is to be on businesses' side," said the chancellor.

"And, learning from flexibilities in the United States, we are working to remove all the old barriers holding the enterprising back."