For years now we have been told that a cashless society is the future. They say it is slick, secure and modern. Well, I say it is a con, and if we keep heading that way, we will land ourselves in a right mess.

Cash is still king for millions of people. The pensioner who keeps a few notes in her purse. The builder who finishes a shift and picks up his dinner on the way home. The market trader who deals in cash every single day. And yes, before you ask, if a customer wants to pay WeFix London in cash, that’s fine by me! These are not rare cases, they are the backbone of Britain. Take cash away and you are cutting people out of everyday life.

So who really benefits from cashless? Banks and tech giants. Every tap, every swipe, every digital payment comes with a fee. It is money in their pockets, not yours. And do not forget the data. With cash, you pay, it is done, no one is tracking you. With cards and apps, every pint, every sandwich, every cab ride is stored and sold. That is not convenience, that is surveillance.

And what happens when the systems fail? We have all seen it. Card machines go down. Apps crash. Banks lock customers out. When that happens, cash saves the day. You can still buy your groceries, pay the cabbie, tip the waiter. Go fully cashless and one glitch could shut down the high street. Who in their right mind wants to run an economy on something so fragile?

Then there is trust. Cash is simple, a tenner is a tenner. With digital money, people are left wide open to fraud and scams. I hear stories all the time of people losing their savings because someone hacked their details. Try getting your cash back quickly from a bank once that happens. Good luck.

And let us not forget inclusion. Not everyone has a smartphone. Not everyone is confident with apps. Not everyone trusts technology. These people deserve to take part in society like the rest of us. Going totally cashless basically tells them, tough luck. That is not fair and it is not British.

Do not get me wrong, I am not anti-technology. Contactless is handy, I use it myself and all engineers at WeFix London carry a payment card machine. But it has to be about choice. Give people the option, do not strong-arm them down one road just because it suits the banks. Cash has worked for centuries, it still works now, and it still matters to millions.

Going totally cashless in the UK is not progress, it is a backwards step.