• WHY aren’t our Labour councillors standing up for Camden’s users of Uber?

Last Friday Labour’s Mayor of London Sadiq Khan approved a decision not to renew Uber’s licence at the end of the month.

Uber could and should take steps to improve its checks and the quality of its service. But on every occasion that Transport for London inspected Uber over the last four years, they signed them off, including as recently as April.

Sadiq Khan’s sudden decision, which gave Uber only 10 days’ warning, risks looking political. Some have even suggested it was timed to coincide with Labour’s conference. Whatever the motivations, the mayor has certainly been heavy-handed.

There are around 3.5 million Uber users across the capital, including thousands here in Camden. Many people have told us that they like Uber because it’s affordable, convenient, and they find it safe.

A decade ago a night out could mean a long walk in the dark in search of a night bus or a leap of faith to get into a minicab outside a nightclub or bar. Uber has brought greater choice to Londoners travelling around the city, day or night. And it’s hugely popular.

Uber also provides jobs to 40,000 drivers, who have had their livelihoods jeopardised by the mayor’s decision. Many of those drivers have borrowed money to pay for the cars which they use for work. The mayor’s decision must have created the most terrible stress for them and their families.

Within three days of Sadiq Khan’s announcement, three quarters of a million people have signed a petition calling on the mayor to change his mind. Yet the only response from Camden Labour councillors up to that point had been to back the Uber ban on Twitter.

At the time of writing, Labour’s council leader has said nothing about the issue. Neither has Camden’s new cabinet member for transport. That’s just not good enough.

Camden Conservatives and our group leader, Claire-Louise Leyland, were right to warn, shortly after Sadiq Khan was elected, that there would be issues where Labour must prioritise the interests and views of Camden residents over their party-political solidarity with the mayor.

This was such a question. Labour councillors have let us down.

HENRY NEWMAN
Highgate Conservatives