Uber UK boss to step down - report

Uber Technologies’ general manager for Northern Europe is to step down, it was reported on Tuesday.

According to Sky News, Jamie Heywood - who has been in the role for four years - is stepping down to focus on a book project.

Heywood was in charge when the ride-hailing giant lost its licence to operate in the UK, where it employs around 70,000 drivers. It originally lost it in 2017, after alleged offences were not reported to the police, and then again in 2019 after it emerged some drivers had been working under fake identities. It now has a two-and-a-half year licence from Transport for London to operate in the capital.

Uber also faced a legal battle over whether or not its British drivers were employed by the company. The US firm insisted it acted as an agent for drivers only, but the UK Supreme Court disagreed and ruled that its drivers were workers and entitled to rights such as the minimum wage.

According to Sky, Heywood told colleagues in an internal memo seen by the broadcaster: "I feel honoured and proud to have worked alongside every one of you as we’ve collectively risen to the many and varied challenges the world has thrown at us: electrification, Covid, the UK Supreme Court, and TfL, to name just a few.

"We’ve solved these together."

Uber and Heywood have yet to comment on the report.