Wake Up to Money Spooky spending
Oct 30, 2026
Nicola Smith, policy director at the Trades Union Congress, discusses expanded union access and new anti-harassment duties. Economist Linda Yu examines squeezed living standards, welfare pressures and jittery AI markets. Hospitality director Louise McLean weighs Halloween’s spending boost against Budget pressures. Plus, a crypto heist and a pumpkin farm’s smashing recovery after storm damage.
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Crypto’s Weakest Link May Be The Trading Platform
- Binance’s breach shows that crypto’s biggest vulnerability may sit in trading platforms, not blockchain itself.
- Hackers reportedly exploited a compromised engineer’s laptop, targeting about $6.3 billion while Binance froze roughly half.
Pubs Say The Budget Offers No Cavalry
- Hospitality operators say inflation-linked alcohol duty and limited rates relief outweigh the government’s promised support.
- Louise McLean said her business pays £1.6 million in rates and receives no relief.
Small Budget Measures Cannot Reverse The Income Squeeze
- The budget’s small cost-of-living measures may ease pressure but cannot restore household disposable incomes.
- The fiscal watchdog called the outlook grim, while the IFS warned of historically weak income growth.