I am pleased to support The Community Access to Cash Pilots initiative, which aims to select a small number of UK communities to develop and support access to cash solutions which work for them, whether enabling a local shop to give cash back, installing a cash machine, helping communities confidently adopt digital payments, or a new innovation. To become a pilot community, applicants must provide information on the community in question, its needs and the leadership it can provide to work with the initiative. I’d be more than happy to endorse local applications. Applications can be submitted online or in writing and further information on how to apply can be found on the Community Access to Cash Pilots website at www.communityaccesstocashpilots.org The closing date for applications is midnight on Friday 1st May 2020.

It was great to host this reception on digital skills in banking in parliament. Technology can be tremendously successful and disruption can be part of a very successful story we want to tell, but we’ve got to be able to do it in a positive and successful way. We have to be louder about how digital innovation can make finance more accessible.

I have also been with extensive briefings in advance of March’s Budget. This is a real test to see if the Conservative government can deliver on their election promises, and I’m afraid all indications are that they may not. I spoke to Sky News about the pressure mounting on the new Chancellor and the PM as they deliver their first Budget – or should I say, that of Dominic Cummings?!