by political editor Paul Francis

After months of speculation, the government will finally set out its long-awaited spending plans today with the public sector braced for unprecedented budget cuts.

Widespread job losses across Kent, alongside deep cuts to services and the cancellation of more building projects, are all expected to follow.

Some of today’s announcements have already been heavily trailed.

Chancellor George Osborne will set out this afternoon his proposals to tackle the country’s national deficit and bring down the levels of debt by chopping around £83bn from government departments.

It will be a day of reckoning for all parts of the public sector in Kent, which accounts for an estimated 110,800 employees.

Councils, the police and the NHS and others working in central government departments will all have to confront the impact of a new age of austerity lasting several years.

As the second largest authority in the country, KCC - which was forced to cut £15m from this year’s budget - has already warned that it faces a £340m black hole over the next four years.

Hundreds of jobs are forecast to go but finance chiefs insist steps have already been taken to minimise some of the pain.

But there are fears that the government’s decision to safeguard some budgets, such as school spending and the NHS, will mean more pain elsewhere despite rising demand for some services, such as elderly social care.

Cllr John Simmonds, KCC cabinet member for finance, said: "It is going to be a balancing act.

"If the government cuts specific grants to us, that is where we will have to cease funding to some of the services we have provided."

On the impact on jobs, he said: "We have not been filling vacancies for some time, knowing what is looming.

"The impact on jobs may be higher than it is on people but nevertheless, there will be many jobs going."

Medway Council believes it could fare badly in the Spending Review.

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Cllr Alan Jarrett, deputy leader, said: "As we have less money to play with than many other councils, any reduction in our funding will undoubtedly have a big effect.

"In fact that effect is likely to be disproportionate comparing Medway with other councils.

"And as we, like any other council, are a people organisation, major reductions will inevitably impact on our employees."

However, it was too early to say what the precise impact would be.

Meanwhile, union representatives say public sector staff threatened with redundancy will battle to protect services and jobs.

Zoe Van Dyke, regional organiser for Unison south east, said: "Residents are going to see cuts in services the like of which they have never seen before.

"I am certain there are going to be many of our members who will want to take action. People are beginning to recognise this will be the biggest battle they have fought for 30 years."

She added that large-scale redundancies would hit the local economy.

"The likelihood is that there will be a dip in the economy because thousands of people will not be contributing to the economy.

"If you take a place like Maidstone, where there is a large concentration of public sector workers, sandwich bars and other businesses are all more likely to go out of business."

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