Cameron Vows To 'Cut Through Dither'

David Cameron has vowed to show his "fighting spirit" to "cut through the dither" holding back Britain.

In an article in the Mail on Sunday, the Prime Minister hinted at a series of initiatives designed to breathe new life into the country's flagging economy.

These included bringing forward controversial measures to boost growth by relaxing planning rules.

And he warned that Britain could not afford the "paralysis" which causes new housing developments to be held up by local opposition and lengthy planning inquiries.

He said: "A key part of recovery is building the houses our people need, but a familiar cry goes up - 'Yes, we want more housing, but no to every development - and not in my back yard'.

"The nations we're competing against don't stand for this kind of paralysis and neither must we.

"Frankly, I am frustrated by the hoops you have to jump through to get anything done - and I come back to Parliament more determined than ever to cut through the dither that holds this country back."

Speaking to Sky News' Dermott Murnaghan, the Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Government was "frustrated" by the amount of red tape and regulations hindering growth.

"There has been a sense of urgency about that all along, and we have done a great deal about that," Mr Hague said.

"Some of the reforms the Chancellor's brought in in taxation, cutting corporation tax, bringing 24 new enterprise zones around the country. We've already got rid of about £3bn worth a year of red tape cost to businesses. But there is more to be done - that's what the Prime Minister is saying.

"It is frustrating often in Government, at the amount of rules and regulations that have to be confronted for people to get things going in the economy. And so is there more to be done on that? Yes there is. But I think we've already done a lot over the last two years."

The PM's comments will raise fresh concerns that the Government wants to open up Green Belt land for development - a move that will prove highly controversial within the Coalition - and come amid preparations for his first major Cabinet reshuffle.

He also used the article to brush aside complaints by teachers over the fall in the latest GCSE results, promising further measures to reverse "dumbing down" in the classroom.

However Mr Cameron faced fresh sniping from within his own ranks, with backbencher Brian Binley publicly calling on him to axe George Osborne as Chancellor in the forthcoming reshuffle.

Also writing in The Mail on Sunday, Mr Binley said Mr Osborne should be made Conservative Party chairman so he could concentrate on winning the general election and be replaced by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who had the "analytical strengths and broad commercial experience" to make a fine chancellor.

On Sunday, Mr Osborne conceeded that Britain faced a tough economic future, but insisted that the economy was "healing".

"They're difficult times for the British economy; difficult times for the world economy. But our economy is healing. Jobs are being created," he told The Andrew Marr Show.

"It is taking time, but there is no easy route to a magical recovery. We've got to do the hard work paying off our debts, becoming a more competitive country, and making sure that in the 21st century Britain has its place in the world."

In his article, the PM defended the Government's economic strategy, saying it was on the "hard road to balancing Britain's books".

He added: "We've cut the deficit by a quarter already, and we are sticking to this course: rejecting the easy path - restoring sanity to our finances; keeping Britain safe."