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Chancellor George Osborne faces a growing Cabinet revolt over “absolutely brutal” cuts due to be unveiled next month.

The Chancellor has ordered ministers to draw up plans for 25% cuts ahead of the Spending Review.

But a host of ministers have issued doomsday warnings to No 11 over the impact of raiding their budgets.

(Image: PA)

Nicky Morgan said cuts demanded in the education department would lead to a dangerous erosion of early years funding and further education, “which are really important”.

Energy Secretary Amber Rudd warned that about 40% of her budget is spent on providing security for Britain’s nuclear industry, and that cuts of 25% would mean reducing Britain’s 1,000-strong nuclear police force.

(Image: Dan Kitwood)

Philip Hammond , the Foreign Secretary, sent the Treasury plans for 16% cuts to administrative costs, but has refused to shut embassies, the Sunday Times reported.

And a fresh assault on the Home Office budget could leave Britain’s biggest police force, the Met, facing manpower cuts of 15%.

One Cabinet minister said the looming Spending Review would be “absolutely brutal”, the paper added.

(Image: Reuters)

The minister accused Mr Osborne of attacking the budgets of potential rivals for the Tory leadership when David Cameron quits.

It comes as the Chancellor also faces Tory warnings over his tax credits raid, which will see three million families lose an average of £1,000 when cuts bite in April.

The Mirror revealed last week how Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, an ex-miner, urged the Chancellor to address voters’ and backbenchers’ concerns over hitting low-paid “strivers”.

But Tory grandee Ken Clarke yesterday urged Mr Osborne to hold firm despite fears of a backlash.

The former Cabinet minister admitted the cuts would be “unpopular” and have unpredictable effects.

Mr Clarke told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show: “My advice to George is put your tin hat on, get on with it.

“Don’t put it off because in the short term it is going to be unpopular.”

The Chancellor defended the Tories’ £12billion social security assault , writing in the Sunday Telegraph: “What are the alternatives to trimming an unsustainable welfare bill?

“We would have to borrow more money we don’t have and burden our children with still higher debt.

“Instead, our plan will mean Britain being back in the black and running its biggest budget surplus for almost half a century by the next election - so that we can start to bring down our national debt.

“Alternatively, we could cut the services working people really rely on, such as the NHS .”