Philip Hammond reckons there are votes to be had in keeping 1p coins. Well not mine

I’d be glad to see the coins go. They’re useless, heavy in my pocket and no one is fooled by the 99p bargain trick any more

Cash is rapidly being replaced by contactless payments (Alamy)

Those irritating 1p and 2p copper coins have been given a reprieve by the chancellor, Philip Hammond.

He’s launched a task force to ensure that cash does not go out of circulation as more of us than ever use debit cards and phone apps for everyday purchases and thousands of cash machines are being removed from high streets.

According to the Bank of England, scrapping small coins wouldn’t cause inflation, and the Royal Mint says that six out of 10 of them are used just once before being stashed in a jar or thrown away.

I’m one of the hoarders (also saving 5p coins), and once a year the lot is fed into a machine and converted into a charity donation – with a deduction.

I'd be glad to see the coins go. They’re useless, heavy in my pocket and these days nobody thinks that anything priced at 99p is more of a bargain than the same item at £1.

Despite the jump in contactless payments, the elderly and people living in rural area are still reliant on cash.

Has Hammond made this decision in order to buy votes? If so, I am sure most pensioners would give up a few small coins if they could see a benefit in care provision. The chancellor is not paying enough to win their favour.