It’s easy to think we’re heading towards a cashless society – cards, phones, watches, even your fridge will probably pay for your milk soon. But as far as I’m concerned, cash is king and we should be doing everything we can to make sure it stays that way.

Recently, a group of MPs called for shops to be forced to accept cash. Not politely encouraged. Forced. And they’re absolutely right.

At the same time, Marks & Spencer, a cornerstone of British shopping, was hit by a cyber attack that knocked out its payment systems.  If ever we needed a reminder of why having physical money in our pockets is important, that was it.

It’s not about living in the past. It’s about protecting the future. Digital payments rely on technology and that means they can fail. Cash doesn’t.

Whether it’s a power cut, cyber attack or just poor signal in the local shop, you should still be able to buy your pint of milk or get a cab home without needing to reboot the WiFi.

There’s also something inherently British about cash. I know that might sound daft, but having a tenner in your wallet is part of who we are. It’s tangible, reliable and doesn’t require an app update. Some might say I’m old school, but I’d rather have a few notes in my back pocket than rely on a bit of plastic or some invisible code.

Then there’s budgeting. Ask anyone who uses cash day-to-day and they’ll tell you it’s easier to stay on top of your spending when you can actually see it disappearing. When it’s gone, it’s gone. Simple. No overdraft surprises, no unexpected app notifications, just plain old common sense.

We also can’t ignore the huge number of people who either don’t want to go digital, or simply can’t. Whether it’s elderly people who don’t feel confident with online banking or low-income families who rely on physical money to keep track, forcing a cashless world on them is not just unfair, it’s dangerous.

Every time we remove another ATM, or a shop stops accepting notes, we make life harder for these people. And who picks up the tab when they fall behind? The rest of society. Keeping cash isn’t just about preference, it’s about protection.

And let’s not forget the small businesses, restaurants, coffee shops, tradespeople and market stalls to name but a few who rely on cash to stay afloat. For many, card terminals are expensive to run, riddled with transaction fees and prone to going down when you need them most.

Cash is instant, no middlemen taking a slice, and no risk of being locked out of your own money when systems crash. For an independent business with tight margins, that’s the difference between profit and loss. It’s no wonder some are quietly putting up signs that say, ‘Cash Preferred’. It’s not nostalgia, it’s survival.

And what about those family moments that only cash can provide? Giving your grandkids a fiver to spend in the corner shop or dropping a few quid into a collection bucket. Try doing that with a contactless card. There’s a whole world of human interaction and kindness that’s being quietly erased by the flick of a phone.

We live in a world that’s obsessed with speed and efficiency. But just because something’s faster doesn’t mean it’s better. And it certainly doesn’t mean it’s safer. Keeping cash in circulation is about resilience, freedom and choice.

At WeFix we don’t discriminate, card or cash is acceptable, but we’d never chose one over the other alienating parts of society.

So, if the government wants to do something useful for once, they should back these MPs and make it law that cash must be accepted in shops. Otherwise, the next cyber attack or tech outage won’t just stop people shopping, it’ll cut off a lifeline that millions rely on every single day.

Let’s not tap and go blindly into a future that leaves people behind. Keep cash alive. It matters more than you think.