Hunt ‘will create implausible austerity with post-election public spending cuts’

A council refuse collection. The OBR said public services are expected to grow and local authorities’ abilities to borrow and spend will be constrained. Photograph: Shaun A Daley/Alamy

Jeremy Hunt has paved the way for a renewed period of “implausible austerity” after announcing deep real-terms cuts to public spending after the next election.

Hunt has projected day-to-day departmental expenditure increasing by an average of just 0.9% in real terms from 2025, with public investment spending fixed in cash terms, leaving a future government with a “stark choice” between further tax rises or making deep cuts to public services.