The issue isn't whether public spending is going up in cash terms but whether it's going up faster or slower than inflation. It's definitely going up slower than inflation so that's a cut in anyone's language.
If your house increased in value over 5 years, but by much less than the rate of inflation, you wouldn't think that was a great investment would you? In effect the real value of it would be eroding and exactly the same is happening to public spending.
I'm sure J Redwood understands this very well, so it's hard to account for the article.