Link reports record average ATM withdrawals over weekend amid government preparedness advice
Cash network Link said average ATM withdrawal values hit record levels on Saturday and Sunday, and suggested some people were following the government's advice to be prepared for emergencies. Total cash taken out on Saturday was lower than a year earlier.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Link, the ATM and cash access network, said the average value of ATM withdrawals reached record levels over the weekend of 24–26 October. Evening StandardN “Link has reported seeing a jump in the average value of ATM withdrawals” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “ATM withdrawal values surged to unprecedented levels over the weekend” Read at GB News ↗ Centre · 1On Friday the average withdrawal was just over £100, the highest for any Friday since July. Evening StandardN “the average value of a withdrawal was just over £100 – which it said is the highest for any Friday since July” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2On Saturday the average was around £95, up from around £90 the previous Saturday and the highest for any Saturday in Link's records, which go back to 2014. Evening StandardN “the highest average amount for any Saturday ever recorded by Link” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “which stretch back to 2014” Read at GB News ↗
Centre · 1On Sunday the average was just over £90, the first time Link has recorded an average above £90 on a Sunday. Evening StandardN “the first time that Link has recorded an average withdrawal of more than £90 on any Sunday” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2Despite the higher average amounts, the total withdrawn on Saturday, £204 million, was 11% lower than on the same day last year, which Link said reflected the impact of stormy weather. Evening StandardN “a total of £204 million was withdrawn from Link ATMs, which was 11% less than the equivalent day last year” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “which Link attributed to stormy weather keeping people indoors” Read at GB News ↗ Mixed · 2Graham Mott, Link's director of strategy, said it "seems likely that at least some people chose to take the Government's advice and take out some extra cash to be ready for some sort of emergency". This is Link's inference, and it did not say how many people were involved. Evening StandardN “seems likely that at least some people chose take the Government’s advice and to take out some extra cash to be ready for some sort of emergency” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “seems likely that at least some people chose to take the Government's advice and take out some extra cash” Read at GB News ↗
Mixed · 2The government's advice, issued under its "Be Ready" campaign, recommends households keep three days' supplies, including nine litres of water per person, non-perishable food, a wind-up or battery-powered FM radio, a torch, a power bank, a first aid kit, copies of key documents and cash, to cope with a crisis such as war, an online attack or a natural disaster. Evening StandardN “The list also suggests hand sanitiser, wet wipes and toiletries, food for any pets, supplies for any babies, a battery-powered or wind-up FM radio, a torch, blankets, a charged power bank for devices, cash” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “urges every household to keep three days' worth of essential supplies on hand in case of a crisis” Read at GB News ↗ Mixed · 2Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week the government was "having the conversation with people about being better prepared because we're living in a world where unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common". Evening StandardN “Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week” Read at Evening Standard ↗ GB NewsR “Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended the initiative last week” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1GB News adds that Defence Secretary Wes Streeting asked how people would cope if supermarket payment systems went down, urged the public to be "alert but not alarmed", and rejected on BBC Question Time a suggestion that the campaign could trigger Covid-style panic buying. GB NewsR “"How would we cope if the payment systems at the local supermarket went down?" he asked”“rejected an audience member's suggestion that the campaign risked triggering panic buying reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic” Read at GB News ↗
Right · 1On the Conservative side, shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat called the advice "a perfectly reasonable thing to ask people", while shadow national security minister Alicia Kearns accused Labour of "lecturing the public" and said the government must "lead by example". GB NewsR “described the preparedness advice as "a perfectly reasonable thing to ask people"”“accusing Labour of "lecturing the public" while neglecting its own responsibilities” Read at GB News ↗ Right · 1GB News also links the campaign to a global cybersecurity crisis over a critical PHP vulnerability, citing Cloudflare, and reports that 32 government services were taken offline on Thursday. GB NewsR “Thirty-two Government services were pulled offline on Thursday, with four more partially disrupted” Read at GB News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Straightforward business report built around Link's figures and Mott's comment, with the government checklist as context.
- Emphasis
- The specific averages, the Saturday total and its fall against last year, and the length of Link's records.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not include political reaction or the cybersecurity background.
- For example
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“Link has reported seeing a jump in the average value of ATM withdrawals in what it suggested are signs of some people following Government advice” — Evening Standard
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Presents the figures as a public reaction to Labour's alarming emergency guidance, adding ministers' and Conservatives' comments and the cyber-attack backdrop.
- Emphasis
- Political debate over the campaign, Conservative criticism of Labour, and the PHP vulnerability and government services taken offline.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Notes the fall in total Saturday withdrawals but gives it less prominence than the headline's "scramble"; Link's wording is hedged ("some people").
- Charged language
- “scramble”“ominous”“Britons have been rushing to the cash points”
What every side reports
- Link reported average ATM withdrawals of just over £100 on Friday, about £95 on Saturday (a record for a Saturday) and just over £90 on Sunday (a first for a Sunday).
- Total Saturday withdrawals of £204 million were 11% lower than a year earlier, which Link attributed to stormy weather.
- Link's Graham Mott said it seems likely at least some people took the government's advice to hold extra cash.
- The government checklist recommends three days of water and food, among other items, including cash.
Where accounts differ
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How to characterise the rise in withdrawals
- Centre
- Reports it as a jump in average withdrawal values that Link suggests is a sign of some people following government advice.
- Right
- Describes Britons as having "scramble[d]" and been "rushing to the cash points" in response to "ominous" Labour guidance, though the data shown are average amounts and total Saturday withdrawals fell.
Link organisation
Link reports record average withdrawal values and says it seems likely at least some people took out extra cash following government advice; it attributes the lower Saturday total to stormy weather.
“seems likely that at least some people chose take the Government’s advice and to take out some extra cash to be ready for some sort of emergency” — Evening Standard
“which Link attributed to stormy weather keeping people indoors” — GB News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Average ATM withdrawal values jumped to record levels over weekend, says Link
Neutral Factual report of Link's data and its suggested link to government preparedness advice.
Right1 article
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GB NewsR ·
Alarmist Frames the data as a rush for cash prompted by Labour's guidance, with political and cyber-security context.
- 26 Oct 16:23 First Evening StandardN Average ATM withdrawal values jumped to record levels over weekend, says Link
- 27 Oct 00:28 +8h 5m GB NewsR Britons scramble to withdraw cash from ATMs after Labour issues ominous 'Be Ready' emergency guidance
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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