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Cruel Tory austerity has gone “too far” and lasted “too long” - triggering a public sector staffing crisis, top economists warn today.

Researchers issue a damning verdict on Conservative slash and burn, confirming cuts have inflicted real damage on key services.

The scathing judgement is revealed as Theresa May is braced for voters’ backlash as local election results pour in following yesterday’s town hall polls across England.

More than 4,000 seats were up for grabs across 150 authorities, with Labour expected to boost its numbers.

(Image: REUTERS)

Delivering its bombshell verdict on Conservative cuts, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research says there is proof cuts have harmed services.

It says in a report: “Evidence suggests that, following a sustained period of fiscal restraint, low levels of public spending have had a detrimental effect on the provision of public services.”

Outlining the extent to which budgets were raided after David Cameron entered No 10, the detailed study says: “Real spending on defence was 14% lower in 2016-17 than it had been in 2010-11, spending on public order and safety was 17% lower and spending on housing and community activities was 37% lower.”

While “spending on schools was protected, spending on education as a whole was 13% lower”, it reveals.

And despite pumping extra cash into the NHS, “at a time when the elderly population is increasing, it is now generally accepted that not enough resources have been allocated to health”, says the study.

The think tank’s head of UK macroeconomics research Amit Kara said: “We believe the expenditure cuts have gone too far.

“We do not believe that it would be sustainable, we believe that there is austerity fatigue.”

Stripping out inflation, public spending per person was 6% lower in 2017 than when the Tories came to power in 2010, according to the NIESR’s latest report.

As a share of the economy, Government spending plunged from 45.1% in 2009-10 - the last year Labour was in power - to 38.9% in 2016-17.

And official forecasts suggest spending is set to fall by another 1%.

(Image: PA)

Mr Kara said: “It will be well below the long-run average. In our view that is unsustainable.

“We believe austerity fatigue has set in.

“The public sector is facing recruitment difficulties.

“Public sector wages have been squeezed, initially because of the wage freeze then subsequently because of the 1% wage cap, which is now being gradually lifted.”

The think tank also points to the NHS as evidence that freezing and capping public sector wages was deterring potential workers.

“A consequence of the growing divergence between pay in the public and private sectors is that the public sector has become a less attractive place to work,” it says.

“Public sector wages are lagging behind the private sector, resulting in recruitment difficulties and at the same time concerns about the quality of public services is building.

“The Government will struggle to resist lifting public sector wages and extra funding would be needed to stop the fall in public service quality.”

NIESR director of macroeconomic modelling and forecasting Garry Young said of the Tories’ public sector axe wielding has “gone too far now”, adding: “Analysis suggests it went on a bit too long”.

The researchers also ring alarm bells about Chancellor Philip Hammond’s upbeat predictions at March’s spring statement.

“The Chancellor said that he saw light at the end of the fiscal tunnel,” says their report.

“We are afraid that this will turn out to have bee an illusion.

“While public borrowing has been reduced to sustainable levels, our analysis of the prospects for the public finances points to severe challenges ahead.”

The gloomy analysis come as the Prime Minister was fearing a slew of bad local election results in London.

Labour was expected to hoover up votes in the capital, but experts warned the Tories could perform better outside the city.