Uber linked to former PM in lobbying controversy
Uber is facing further controversy after The Daily Mail accused the ride-hailing company of helping former UK Prime Minister David Cameron in the EU referendum campaign by encouraging young people to register to vote. Uber was one of 30 tech companies to attend a meeting at Downing Street which considered ways to boost the youth vote. After the meeting, Uber agreed to include a pop-up encouraging voter registration in its app. Months before the meeting, Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne were alleged to have worked to oppose then Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s proposed restrictions on Uber.
Uber was accused of political ‘back scratching’ last night amid claims it tried to help David Cameron by encouraging young people to register to vote in the EU referendum.

The online taxi firm was among 30 technology companies that attended a meeting at Downing Street last year to discuss plans to get 18 to 24-year-olds to vote.

At the time, young people were expected to vote overwhelmingly for Remain.

Taxi firm Uber was accused of helping David Cameron by encouraging young people to register to vote in the EU referendum. They were one of 30 tech companies to discuss the issue at Downing Street

Following the meeting, Uber agreed to launch a pop-up window in its app encouraging users to register.

The adverts came just months after the former prime minister and George Osborne had allegedly given aides the job of crushing Boris Johnson’s bid to introduce curbs on the taxi giant.

Last night campaigners claimed the Remain camp were targeting supporters through Uber – adding it was another example of the disturbing ‘close links’ between Mr Cameron’s No 10 and the firm. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘This all smacks of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours ... It has been said that Mr Cameron called in every favour possible to influence the Remain vote.

Uber agreed to launch a pop-up window in its app encouraging its younger users to register. Last night campaigners claimed the Remain camp were targeting supporters through Uber

‘Clearly the Remain campaign identified this demographic were core supporters of Remain and were targeting them through Uber.’ Steve McNamara, of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: ‘You scratch my back and I will line your pocket. They were absolutely targeting Remain voters.’

The Daily Mail revealed on Saturday that Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne allegedly told aides to lobby then London mayor Mr Johnson to stop him from bringing in restrictions on Uber. It then emerged that No 10 had failed to divulge details of the alleged lobbying when asked to do so under Freedom of Information laws.

Calls were made yesterday for an inquiry over the alleged cover-up and the Government’s links to the US firm.

David Cameron and George Osborne allegedly told aides to lobby then London mayor Boris Johnson to stop him bringing restrictions on Uber

Opposition MPs pointed out that Rachel Whetstone, a senior vice-president at Uber, is a personal friend of Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne.

And yesterday it emerged that Mr Osborne’s former economic adviser, Guy Levin, is now a policy adviser for Uber after joining the firm last May.

Just weeks before the EU vote, Mr Cameron invited 30 firms, including Facebook, Lad Bible and Snap Fashion to a meeting to discuss boosting turnout among their users.

The meeting’s chairman was Daniel Korski, the aide behind No 10’s recent lobbying campaign on behalf of Uber.

The following weekend, Uber launched a pop-up pushed out to users in more than 20 towns to encourage them to register.

The message, in partnership with youth voter charity Bite the Ballot, read: ‘What could you do in the three minutes it takes for your Uber to arrive? How about registering to vote? Around one-in-three eligible 18 to 24-year-olds are still not registered.’

Last night Uber said: ‘Countries work best when everybody has a say ... Around the world we’ve encouraged people to register to vote.

'In April 2016 we supported the UK Electoral Commission’s drive to get more people registered to vote in the local elections.

'We repeated this in May ahead of the EU referendum.’

A Government spokesman said: ‘The Government has long supported voter registration activity ... We worked with dozens of companies, civil society organisations and local authorities to reach groups that were under-represented on the ... register.’

Project Fear enforcer whose reward for failure was a gong: ANDREW PIERCE on how few Tory MPs will be surprised Cameron's aide is involved in the Uber controversy

BY ANDREW PIERCE FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Daniel Korski persuaded David Cameron to embrace social media networks such as the dating site Tinder to encourage young people to vote Remain

For three years, Daniel Korski was one of the most trusted and powerful members of David Cameron’s privileged Downing Street chumocracy.

A champion of ever-closer links to Brussels, he had a ringside seat at the marathon round of late-night meetings in Brussels during which Cameron tried and failed to forge a new deal to deliver victory in last year’s EU referendum.

Korski was prepared to resort to desperate measures to try to ensure Project Fear won the day. To the astonishment of even some of Cameron’s most loyal allies, he persuaded the then prime minister to embrace social media networks such as the dating site Tinder to encourage young people to vote Remain.

Members of Bite the Ballot, a youth campaign group, along with representatives of Google and BuzzFeed, the trendy news website, attended a meeting at Downing Street a month before the vote last June. It was chaired by Korski, who was deputy director of the Downing Street policy unit.

‘I was responsible for putting Cameron on Tinder ... when I tried to reach younger voters through apps and sites like Uber and Badoo,’ he said after the referendum.

There is a bitter irony in the fact that Korski, who persuaded the PM to flirt with Uber for the benefit of the referendum, is now being sucked ever deeper into the growing scandal over the way senior figures in Downing Street lobbied on behalf of the American internet taxi firm just a few months before the EU poll took place.

The Daily Mail has revealed that Korski, 39, was assigned to ensure that then London mayor Boris Johnson did not upset the Californian web company. In a sign of the immense power he wielded, Korski, who spoke with the full authority of Cameron, summoned Johnson to tell him to lay off Uber.

The Daily Mail has revealed that Korski, 39, was assigned to ensure that then London mayor Boris Johnson did not upset the Californian web company. Korski summoned Mr Johnson to tell him to lay off Uber

Though his name is not known to the wider public, few Tory MPs will be surprised that Daniel Korski is involved in the Uber controversy. ‘He operated in the shadows in Downing Street, and was a highly experienced exponent of the black arts of spin and manipulation,’ said one senior Tory last night.

Korski was brought into Downing Street by the Etonian Ed Llewellyn, another fully paid-up member of the chumocracy, who was Cameron’s chief of staff from 2005. Korski, who helped draft Cameron’s final speech on the steps of Downing Street before he left for the last time, was best man at Llewellyn’s wedding.

Before Downing Street, he worked for Baroness Ashton, the obscure Labour peer who became the EU’s first high representative for foreign affairs. In Korski she had a willing accomplice. He was described witheringly by one Tory MP as the most ‘ardent EU enthusiast to ever work for a Tory prime minister’. In fact, some MPs doubt whether Korski was even a Conservative at all.

He lives in a £1million terrace house in Camden, the north London borough that had one of the biggest Remain votes in the referendum. It’s a highly politicised pro-EU household because his partner Fiona McIlwham, 43, shares his passion for Europe.

A senior Tory said of Mr Korski: ‘He operated in the shadows in Downing Street, and was a highly experienced exponent of the black arts of spin and manipulation'

Once one of the youngest British ambassadors, when she was appointed to Albania in 2009 aged 35, she is now senior adviser to the director-general of EU enlargement.

Last spring Korski, once again operating in the shadows, was a pivotal figure in the defenestration of John Longworth as director-general of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC).

After Longworth announced himself a Brexiteer, Korski – then Cameron’s £93,000-a-year eyes and ears on the EU – hit the telephone to the ten-strong BCC board. Within 24 hours, Longworth was suspended from his £250,000 post. Two days later he resigned as Korski maintained the pressure.

Despite his own key role in the failure of Cameron’s referendum, Korski was rewarded with a CBE in the now discredited Downing Street resignation honours list. This was despite working for Cameron for just three years.

Despite his own key role in the failure of Cameron’s referendum, Korski was rewarded with a CBE in the now discredited Downing Street resignation honours list

Since he left Downing Street, Korski has been trying to raise millions for investment in public sector technology products.

He’s also written a long article on the referendum, conceding: ‘Our biggest mistake was our failure to deliver the kind of deal we – and especially the media – had given the impression was possible.

From the moment Cameron promised a referendum we should have built up the case for EU co-operation, preparing the electoral battlefield we would have to fight on. We didn’t, so a better organised, more passionate adversary won.’

Until the revelation of the Uber lobbying at the weekend, Korski presumably thought his efforts to bolster the fortunes of the taxi firm were more successful – and certainly more discreet.