Need to have cash in our cashless age

THE Great Visa Crash saw thousands of law-abiding citizens suddenly unable to pay for goods and services, stranded abroad, left without cash, embarrassed and disappointed in planned half-term outings.

While this crisis of modern life was still in full swing, I began trying to work out how to travel from Devon to London on Monday. Naturally enough I thought of reverting to the past and using a cheque to buy my rail ticket and pay for overnight accommodation, but then realised that there were no longer such devices as cheque guarantee cards and that big, impersonal companies such as Great Western Railway would be unlikely to accept unsupported cheques. Fortunately the problem was solved before I had to put the matter to the test.

The lessons to be taken from the drama contradict what would normally be advised. First, always carry large amounts of cash and second, get another card if all your current ones are with one provider. Neither course of action is particularly responsible so perhaps the banks could review their anti-cheque policies?

This is the true face of feminism

JONATHAN HASKEL, below, has been appointed to the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee in preference to the other four candidates on the shortlist who happened to be women and immediately there is an outbreak of whingeing and whining from supposed feminists.

True feminists believe in appointment on merit not gender. If the reverse had been true and a woman had been chosen over four men then the sisterhood would have rejoiced. Boards and committees should be composed of the most able candidates available, not of quotas and tokens.

Good for the Treasury in doing the right thing rather than the politically correct thing and congratulations to Professor Haskel.