GORDON Brown last night came under fire for failing to even mention the armed forces in his flagship manifesto of future Government priorities.

The Prime Minister insisted it did not matter his keynote speech on his "Building Britain's Future" plan did not refer to the troops – because he mentioned them in a separate statement on national security last week.

But with troops still fighting – and dying – on the frontline in Afghanistan, many still nursing wounds from conflict in Iraq and a growing debate on the future of defence spending, critics said the omission was not acceptable.

Instead, his speech referred to legal rights for the public to call meetings with the police and plans to phase out hereditary peers, by waiting for them to die off.

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Challenged over the absence of any future plans for the armed forces in his Commons speech, Mr Brown told the WMN: "I think it is very important to recognise that last week we made a statement on national security. I went to Chatham for Armed Forces Day." He also held a reception in Downing Street for veterans and reservists because he "wanted to thank them for what they have done".

But critics condemned the absence of strategy for the armed forces in the statement.

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey (North Devon) said: "The whole thing was shambolic but not to have anything to say about the armed forces when they are involved in a major operation in Afghanistan, and just back from Iraq, is a glaring and surprising omission.

"There is a massive, massive problem brewing up on defence funding."

Hugo Swire, Conservative MP for East Devon, said: "There was not a single mention or acknowledgement of the armed forces. There was nothing at all, when there is a huge debate going on about Trident and Afghanistan and so on.

"Instead we got a hotch-potch of ideas from a desperate Prime Minister trying to buy some headlines."

And Dan Rogerson (Lib-Dem, North Cornwall) said there were growing concerns about "how we look after veterans and the support in place for them".

"We have a lot of people – regulars and reservists – coming back having seen some terrible things and I am not convinced that the way they have been treated up to now has met the Government's rhetoric," he said.

Mr Brown was earlier challenged over the apparent suggestion the forces did not play a significant part in his vision for Building Britain's Future.

Former Lib-Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: "Is not the absence of any reference to defence policy and its financial implications for the British economy a significant omission?"

He asked if the Government now accepts there is "an overwhelming and urgent need for a full-scale defence review, to bring commitments and resources into balance".

But Mr Brown responded that the statement on national security last week "looked at all the issues surrounding the future national security of this country".

"I agree that it is right to fund the great work that is done by our troops in Afghanistan and other areas around the world, and I agree that it is important that we show that we can fund them well into the future," he said.

"So far as any future reviews of defence are concerned, it is important for us to remember that we have funded defence services for the next two years."