PM shows disrespect for Armed Forces, says VC winner

The lance corporal said he turned round and walked off as the Premier offered his hand during a Remembrance Day service last November.

L/Cpl Beharry told The Sun he was "absolutely furious" at the way Mr Brown fidgeted and moved during the two-minute silence, adding: "All that was going through my head was to knock him out.

"I decided I'd get his attention and let him know how I felt.

"When he offered his hand to me I just turned round and walked away. I wanted him to think about his actions and it worked."

The soldier's comments – the latest public fall-out between the PM and a member of the military – prompted Mr Brown to write a personal letter to the Grenada-born soldier on Sunday night.

The message was sent to "reassure him of his personal admiration and the great respect in which he is held by the whole country", Mr Brown's official spokesman said.

"The Prime Minister has the utmost respect and admiration for L/Cpl Beharry, who has shown great courage serving our country," the spokesman added.

The soldier said his snub came a year after he attended a Downing Street reception during which he claimed the Prime Minister appeared "totally disinterested" in him and other servicemen.

In a wider criticism of Mr Brown's attitude to the Armed Forces, he told The Sun: "He's the PM. We in the military work for him. He should be setting an example.

"I can't get over how disrespectful he's been to us. His reaction to the uniform is terrible.

"It's not about me or my medal. It's all of us. We were representing the Army in front of him and he didn't seem to care less."

He added: "This is nothing to do with the election, or who I want to be PM. My problem is with him personally, Gordon Brown the man."

L/Cpl Beharry, from 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, became the first living VC recipient since 1965 for twice braving enemy fire to save comrades' lives in Iraq in 2004.

Downing Street said Mr Brown was "delighted" to be the host of the November 2008 reception and "pleased to be able to be introduced to a man he admires greatly".

Number 10 also said after the Remembrance Day service, the Prime Minister took time to thank the lance corporal and tell him of the country's pride.

Mr Brown has previously been criticised by military top brass for being unsympathetic to defence spending needs. Last month he was also forced to admit his claims that defence spending rose in real terms every year under Labour were wrong.