The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that the government has given a misleading impression of the size of the cuts required for George Osborne to meet his pledge to balance the books over the next three years.

Carl Emmerson, the thinktank’s deputy director, said “unprotected” Whitehall departments – excluding the NHS, schools spending and overseas development – could face cumulative cuts of more than 15% over the next three years.

That would take spending in departments including the Home Office, Defence, and Communities and Local Government to 32.9% below 2010 levels, when the Tory-led coalition came to power.

The chancellor will give his first indication of spending plans in a summer budget on 8 July.

Source: Osborne is misleading over cuts needed to balance books, says IFS | Politics | The Guardian