Spending review puts brunt of cuts on five departments, says thinktank

Shock deficit figures for October mean the police, courts, local government, business and above all education face 30% cuts in autumm statement, says Resolution Foundation

The police, courts, education, local government and business are facing spending cuts of up to 30% next week as five Whitehall departments bear the brunt of George Osborne's attempt to put Britain's public finances back in the black, according to an independent thinktank.

The ringfencing of key areas of spending, such as the NHS, coupled with agreements already struck between the chancellor and some of his cabinet colleagues, has left five big areas of spending under threat, says the Resolution Foundation.

Related: Shock UK deficit figures dent George Osborne's economic plan