US ride-hailing app Uber has had its licence suspended in the British city of Sheffield for failing to respond to requests for information about its management.
Uber will be allowed to continue operating until December 18 and, if it chooses to appeal the suspension, it can function until that has been heard.
"Uber's licence was suspended last Friday (1 December) after the current licence holder failed to respond to requests, made by our licensing team, about the management of Uber," a Sheffield City council spokesman said.
Uber said it had informed Sheffield in October that it would need to change the name on its licence as the named individual would soon be leaving the company.
"The council told us they couldn't change the name on the licence, as most other councils have done, and that we would instead have to apply for a new one," the company said in a statement.
"If the new application can't be resolved by 18 December we will of course submit an appeal so we can continue to serve the people of Sheffield," it said.
On Monday, Uber begins its appeal against a separate suspension in London, where around 40,000 drivers use the app and serve 3.5 million customers.
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FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.