Business leaders in Sussex have attacked Gordon Brown's keynote address at Labour's annual conference as a sop to the unions and the public sector.

One predicted the Chancellor's luck was about to run out and that his seven-year record of low-inflationary growth was coming to an end.

In an impassioned speech, Mr Brown sought to install his handling of the economy as the cornerstone of Labour's forthcoming general election campaign.

He told delegates at the Brighton Centre yesterday: "From being the party not trusted with the economy, this conference should be proud that Labour is today the only party trusted with the economy."

He promised to introduce a minimum wage for all from the age of 16, expand the provision of affordable housing and give all adults without basic skills a "second chance".

He also announced plans for affordable child-care and cheaper housing for first time buyers, saying the Government would be implementing the Barker review into housing and expand support for key public sector workers.

But although he cheered much of the party faithful, business leaders were nonplussed.

Steven Gauge, director of business support group Sussex Enterprise, said the speech was high on passion but low on detail.

He said: "One of the major omissions was transport. It is probably the biggest issue affecting business in Sussex and the South-East but there was not even a passing reference to it in his speech.

"The Labour party conference is still dominated by the unions so there was lots of talk about supporting key public sector workers. But Gordon Brown has to realise there are lots of key workers in the private sector who are the key to the stability and success of the economy.

"He has been trading on his decision to hand over independence to the Bank of England on interest rates which has helped achieve stable, low-inflationary growth.

"But we think Sussex is a missed opportunity. We think there is a lot of potential going to waste because of the poor transport and the amount of time people spend cutting through red tape.

"The affordable housing issue was welcome. Many businesses tell us they are having difficulty recruiting because people can not afford to live in Sussex.

"But there are lots of key workers in the private sector who are vital to the success and stability of the Sussex economy so the terms should be broadened."

Tony Mernagh, executive director of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: "Housing is a huge issue but you could argue whether affordable housing is the answer.

"If we are using it as a sop for people who have a vocation but don't expect to get paid a great deal you might say that's insulting. If they are key workers they should be paid a decent wage."