THE prime minister is right to talk up the enterprise economy.

His remarks bode well for the budget in a few days time. Small business will be the powerhouse of our recovery. It needs help, starting with a reduction in red tape and those that tie the knots.

The Libyan crisis has deepened with Gaddafi proving more resilient than many expected. The detention of some UK special forces was not especially edifying, perhaps even an ‘iPod moment’ recalling the infamous capture in 2007 of HMS Cornwall’s naval party in the Gulf.

I suspect a no-fly zone will have to be established but, in my view, enforcing any UN mandate should be the perks of countries in the vicinity – France, Spain, Italy etc, especially since these southern Mediterranean NATO and EU partners have been relatively shy coalition allies in Afghanistan. To those who want us to take a more active role I would gently point out that Britain no longer bestrides the world like a Colossus – get used to it and move on.

Final salary pensions in the public sector are set to be a thing of the past. This will go down badly with senior military officers, doctors, local authority chiefs, top policemen, etc who traditionally have had their salaries racked up just before retirement in order to live the next 20 or 30 years in clover.

There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

We do need to reward people properly for their labours but increased life expectancy has introduced a gearing effect to enhance further the disproportionate benefit of the current arrangements to top earners in the public sector.

The announcement of a £6.5 million bonus for Barclay’s chief executive, the aptly named Bob Diamond, is just wrong. Apparently top bankers think they’re worth it because they take risk.

Well, they don’t. The poor souls who take risks are the small businessmen who mortgage their homes and scrape together savings to provide collateral and from under whom the rug is so quickly pulled by these self-same bankers.

On Friday I had the pleasure of looking round the workshops at Salisbury cathedral. I am in awe of the skill and dedication of the stonemasons, conservators and glaziers who maintain the fabric of a building that has always inspired me. If there are any bankers out there in need of redemption, the cathedral’s appeal would like to hear from you.