Business leaders are set to call on Gordon Brown to halt rising taxes and red tape.

During the final day of their annual conference, the CBI will call for an end to tax hikes by the chancellor ahead of his pre-Budget report on Wednesday.

The conference will also hear from health secretary Alan Milburn on the government's reform of public services and education secretary Charles Clarke.

Union leader Dave Prentis and Matthew Taylor of the IPPR are also among those taking part in a panel discussion.

The CBI's director general, Digby Jones, will use his keynote address to urge Gordon Brown to end the erosion of Britain's competitive edge.

Jones has argued that UK competitiveness is being eroded by a £47 billion business tax burden.

"When it comes to competitiveness, the UK is driving in the wrong direction. If we carry on driving down the wrong road, firms will get out and walk the other way. Reversing the decline must be one of the government's biggest priorities," he said ahead of his speech.

"I say well done to the government for delivering a stable economic climate that is clearly weathering a stormy global environment. But if the government wants to get more out of business and use business as a big contributor to socially-inclusive wealth creation, it must make the UK the best place in the world to do business."