PM: Suu Kyi Helping Burma Democracy Flower

David Cameron has described Burma as a "bright spark" where democracy is beginning to flower.

Speaking during his official visit to Indonesia, the PM reaffirmed his intention to travel to Burma.

He said he hoped to work with Aung Sang Suu Kyi to ensure that "progress (towards democracy) is irreversible".

On domestic matters, Mr Cameron acknowledged that there were lessons to be learned from the bumpy week or so he and his government endured in the wake of the Budget.

He was not willing at all to give a hint as to what those lessons might be on his part, instead stressing the need to focus on the "big picture" of the programme of work the administration is tackling.

"I have to stand back from the day to day of politics, and ensure we're doing the right thing," he said.

The Prime Minister said he is prepared to "defend every part of the Budget", having worked on it line by line with the Chancellor.

Regarding the "granny tax" row, he pointed out the considerable uprating in the state pension.

Questioned on whether he was wrong to rule out changes to other pensioner benefits like the free TV licence, bus pass and winter fuel allowance, the Prime Minister insisted he had made a promise to maintain these programmes and would stick by them for as long as he is in the job.

He said he would publish his own tax return, which he described as a symbol of this "age of transparency".

However, he would not offer a cast-iron guarantee and did not give any more details, such as when it would be published.

Some supporters of the Prime Minister will worry that this level of openness could mean a new can of worms for senior politicians to negotiate.

Tax avoidance also is an issue, and when asked if he has ever done something that in the eyes of the man or woman on the street would constitute avoiding tax, the Prime Minister said that he had not.

The worry for party strategists is that journalists will soon be hunting through the financial affairs of senior government figures, hoping to find signs of hypocrisy or worse.

Mr Cameron professes to be "relaxed" at the prospect, but not all his colleagues may feel the same way.

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