The Chancellor Philip Hammond will set out the Government’s first post-Brexit Autumn Statement today - and there could be mixed news for Kent.

There is speculation that the statement will confirm that the long-awaited new Lower Thames Crossing will get the green light and that the Government will set up a new fund to allow existing grammar schools to expand.

It will also indicate whether the austerity drive will continue and measures to help the so-called “Jams” - an acronym for the growing number of people the government has identified as “just about managing.”

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Businesses will be keen to hear if there are to be plans to help them thrive in the post-Brexit economy while the public sector will be hoping that it will be spared further cuts in the drive to cut the deficit.

Planning lawyer for the Maidstone law firm Brachers Lee May said: “Early indications suggest that infrastructure will be a key focus of the Autumn Statement.

“The Chancellor should also spend on quick infrastructure fixes, such as local road schemes, regional rail improvements and house building in the South East..." - Clive Stevens, Kreston Reeves

"This would be a welcome announcement given the numerous regeneration projects occurring across the county and Kent’s role as the gateway to Europe and home to nationally significant infrastructure, such as the Port of Dover and the proposed Lower Thames Crossing.”

Clive Stevens, chairman of Kent-accountants Kreston Reeves, called for Chancellor Phillip Hammond to send a message to the world about doing business with Britain.

He said: “This Autumn Statement really must reset the economy so that both Europe and the world know that the United Kingdom is open for international trade.

“If the UK is to prosper, business needs to know that there are few barriers to trading overseas in its way.”

He added: “The Chancellor should also spend on quick infrastructure fixes, such as local road schemes, regional rail improvements and house building in the South East.

“The bigger projects, such as HS2, will take too much time to feed into the real economy, which is already in an uncertain state.”

There are reports that the Chancellor will offer local authorities the chance to bid for a slice of a £740m fund to trial superfast 5G mobile networks.

Follow our political editor Paul Francis On Twitter at @PaulOnPolitics and our business editor Chris Price on @TheChrisPrice for all the key announcements from 12.30pm.