Editor's comment: Regional gloom with some optimism

The Spending Review dominated October, the speculation leading up to George Osborne's announcement in parliament giving way to analysis of how hard and where exactly the Chancellor's axe will fall on public spending.

(Read Spending Review: Coalition cuts deep to stimulate recovery)

Regions outside London and the South-East will be disproportionately hit, especially Northern Ireland, where one-third of workers are employed by the public sector; Wales, Liverpool and Newcastle are also reliant on public sector jobs. Brokers in these areas will see demand drop for personal lines insurance and companies dependent on public sector business will see declining turnovers.

Despite the doom and gloom, there are signs