Dear John,

At this election there's a really important issue at stake that no one’s talking about: around the UK, people are losing the right to freely access their money.

In the last year we’ve lost 5,644 free-to-use cash machines, 11% of the total. [1] It's happening because of moves by big banks and card companies - they stand to make bigger profits if cash disappears - and because until now, the government has stood by and let it happen.

This is a major political issue, but so far it’s not getting the notice it deserves. [2] This election is our chance to change that, to put our future politicians on the spot and ask: whose side do you want to be on, the big banks’ or the public’s?

So what’s the plan? As a people-powered network, we work together to pressure our MP candidates in person, online, and via the media:

> First as many of us as possible need to find when our local hustings are happening and get ready to go and ask a question. Can you spare an evening in the next 4 weeks to help protect our access to our money? If you can, check out this short hustings guide now:

FIND OUT HOW MANY ATMS HAVE SHUT IN YOUR AREA
AND READ OUR LOCAL HUSTINGS GUIDE

> Then en mass we’ll email our local MP candidates to quiz them on whether they’re willing to protect our access to our cash. Look out for an email soon!

> The Positive Money office team are working to reveal stats and polling to help us hit the local and national media. We’ll be focussing on key marginal and seats where there are potential future Treasury ministers. We’re on it!

> Finally, we’ll share videos exposing the shocking truth behind this scandal. Keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds so you can share them and help move this issue up the agenda.

While debates about Brexit clog up our airwaves, we could be losing the basic right to access our own money. But lots of people - and politicians! - don’t understand the extent of the threat. So together we need to expose it for the very political issue it is.

Because we know a lot of people care about this. Which means our politicians should too. Earlier this year, Positive Money released polling which showed that 77% of people consider access to a free cash machine as essential to their lives. [3]

Whilst there’s a lot to get involved in during a General Election, we hope you can spare a few clicks or even a couple of hours to join in our people-powered plan to protect our access to our money. If you’re up for helping, please check out our hustings guide now:

FIND OUT HOW MANY ATMS HAVE SHUT IN YOUR AREA
AND READ OUR LOCAL HUSTINGS GUIDE

Thank you for being involved,

Rachel, David, Hannah and the rest of the Positive Money team

Notes:

[1] Worrying new data on the war on cash: https://positivemoney.org/2018/10/war-on-cash-worrying-new-data/

[2] Positive Money Blog: Could central bank digital currency halt the privatisation of money? https://positivemoney.org/2018/11/could-central-bank-digital-currency-halt-privatisation-of-money/

[3] MPs echo Positive Money’s call to give regulators new powers to protect cash: https://positivemoney.org/2018/12/mps-echo-positive-moneys-call-to-give-regulator-new-powers-to-protect-cash/