ITA Demo Against Government Corruption : We Are The Masters Of Our Own Fate

Yesterday morning the driver lead Taxi group, the Independent Taxi Alliance (ITA) called an on the foot demonstration in protest of the corruption highlighted in the national media this week.

Both the Prime Minister and then Chancellor leaned on the previous mayor Boris Johnson to go easy on the American Internet platform based app Uber.

Boris then leaned on TfL who, instead of struck enforcement of the rules -as they do with licensed taxis- relaxed the regulations to allow Uber to get away with murder. 

After the atrocities of last weekend, it was felt necessary not to put pressure on the police, by blocking the streets and upsetting the general public. And so it was felt an on foot demo would be the most appropriate form of demonstration.

The ITA, were fully supported by drivers of the militants Dads Defending Daughters group and the night drivers Mayfair Mob. Also present were rank and file drivers from all orgs and unions, sporting lanyards of every colour. 

The protest started at the Tory HQ in Mathew Parker Street. Virtually every attendee was handed a banner paid for by a DDD and MM collection. The group then headed towards Victoria and made their presence felt outside TfL's main HQ, Windsor House. 

The group then marched along to Downing Street. As a mark of respect, when the group entered Parliament Square, banners were lowered and the group marched on to Whitehall in silence to Downing Street. 

The placards and banners let everyone know exactly what the drivers were protesting about. 

It's ok having a drive in, but if no one knows why your there, it's a waste of everyone's time. 

The group then made there way down to the foot bridge and over the river and on towards Palestra. 

Despite another orgs attempts to belittle this protest, on social media, it was a major success and attendance (always hard to attract on foot) was better than expected.  

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Don't force people to tap and go, banks are told by watchdog... TfL Ain't Listening !

The City watchdog has told High Street banks not to force customers to use contactless cards amid growing fears about fraud. 

Do you think TfL are listening ..... Don't hold your breath.

CONTACTLESS CARD FRAUD, ITS WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS!

MPs have put pressure on the Financial Conduct Authority to close a security loophole which allows criminals to make ‘tap and go’ payments on contactless cards months after they have been cancelled.

The Commons Treasury select committee accused banks of placing customers in an ‘unacceptable situation’ of being vulnerable to fraud despite reporting their card lost or stolen.

High Street banks have been warned not to force customers to use contactless cards

In a letter written to the committee and published today, the chairman of the Financial Conduct Authority, John Griffith-Jones, said the regulator is already working with banks to provide more protection for customers.

He said measures being looked at include ‘removing any onus on customers to identify fraudulent transactions’, and working on bolstering banks’ systems to ‘reduce the likelihood of post-cancellation fraud’.

He added that banks could also make the option of having a non-contactless card ‘more visible’ if a customer is concerned about the security risks.

Banks typically issue contactless cards automatically when a card expires, or is lost or stolen, unless instructed otherwise. However, Barclaycard, Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest only offer contactless cards, while Santander says customers can opt out of receiving a contactless card when they first apply.

The security fears of contactless cards have increased as their popularity has soared. There are 101.8million in circulation, with spending more than tripling to £25billion last year. Their security flaw stems from the fact that contactless payments are automatically approved without the till connecting to the customer’s bank to check a card is valid.

This means that it can still be used to make contactless payments months after it has been cancelled

This is the notice TfL insist we stick on our partition window

This one, TfL will revoke your Licence for displaying.

Criminals are able to make ‘tap and go’ payments on contactless cards months after they have been cancelled

The problem is compounded because most banks do not tell their customers when their cancelled card is used, relying on people trawling through statements to identify fraudulent payments before they can receive a refund.

In a statement issued earlier today, the committee chairman Andrew Tyrie said it was ‘unreasonable’ to expect customers to ‘comb through their bank statements months after they have instructed their banks to block their lost or stolen cards’. He said the FCA needed to ‘sort this out’.

Richard Koch of The UK Cards Association said: ‘The industry is not complacent and measures to address issues affecting a small number of contactless cards will be implemented by the end of June.’

A Barclaycard spokesman said: ‘Barclaycard does not offer non-contactless credit cards as we believe contactless payments are integral to ensuring our customers are able to pay conveniently, securely and quickly for small value items if they choose to use this function.

‘If a customer’s card is lost or stolen they are always protected against any fraudulent activity.’

This is the sticker that should be displayed in every minicab throughout London.

Source Daily Mail online.

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TfL BoardMeeting, 29th March....They Still Ain't Listening

The TfL board meeting today was attended by Leon Daniels and Peter Blake.

Item 13 on the agenda, review of taxi fares. No details discussed but Peter Blake said black cabs offer better value for daytime and short trips.... not so much for evening and longer trips.

Ben Story mentioned the recent media coverage only in as far of the cost of new electric cabs and asked if the taxi review was taking the added 'cost plus' into account. 

Blake said "not as this stage".

When asked how black cabs can compete against technology and Uber Blake said "TFL set the MAX fare to the meter and they are looking at ways for Taxis to offer fixed fares and prebooked cheaper fare".  

He went on to say the fare review hadn't taken into account the cost of the electric cab as part of their review, but over the next 12 months they will be looking at reducing operating costs against the capital cost of the vehicle. 

Not one word about the scandal concerning the illegal licensing of Uber, the Jamie Hawes court judgement, or the VAT crowdfunding case in the papers this week, they've  just ignored all this.  

THESE PEOPLE AIN'T LISTENING

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Thea Gaillard, 24, claims the driver was initially "really nice and polite" - but cancelled as soon as he saw her partner

It's Been A Long Time Coming, But Finally... The Tide Has Turned And The Rats Are Jumping Ship

Lots of good news coming out this week. 

After a slow start, the crowdfunding appeal for Uber's VAT case started to accelerated after two massive pledges. Cash strapped drivers who are truely struggling, have dug deep and the fund is now racing on. 

The escalation started with #Action4Cabbies initial pledge of £4,000, and a promise of more to come.

This was followed on Saturday evening by CabVision's promise to match pledges upto the value of £10,000.

#Action4Cabbies will today add another £6,030 to their initial pledge bringing their total to £10,030.

We have also been formed that new kids on the blog 'TaxiApp' have donate £500. 

As of 5o/c this morning, the crowdfunding total stands at £50,275, with 21 days left to go. 

If you care about the future of this trade, please pledge and help the fund reach its total. 

Use this link below to donate 

>http://ift.tt/2nLYD9i<

On top of the massive PR disaster currently coming out in the national news papers lead by the Daily Mail, publicising Downing Street's heavy handed involvement in the lobbying of previous Mayor Boris Johnson and TfL to "go easy on Uber".....we received news yesterday of the departure of Garret Emmerson from the TfL directorate.

Lobbying, corruption, conflict of interests and backhanded job offers, it's all coming out now.

One interesting case to hit the headlines in the past few days, was that of Jamie Hawes' court verdict against TfL. Judgement has been made that Mr Hawes is owed £18 a day for being forced -under conditions of vehicle fitness- to advertise TfL's stakeholders. Also the court has ordered TfL to repay Mr Hawes Licence fee because of the conflict of contract involving on of TfL's board members.

Yesterday, we are told on the LTDA Twitter account, at the APPG meeting in the House of Commons, Lord Blencathra stood up and said "Uber, the most vile form of capitalist company I've ever come across". 

It's been a long time coming, but it certainly looks like the tide has finally turned. This has been the best week our trade has seen in over 4 years.....and it's only Wednesday. 

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Downing Street spokesman insists any suggestion of a cover-up is "categorically untrue".... By Dave Davies

An Urgent Call For A Public Inquiry Into TfL... Every Driver Needs To Complete This Request.

On Friday 6th January 2017, a meeting took place with the Prime Minister Theresa May, asking for a public inquiry into Transport for London (TfL). With the help of the Taxi trade organisations, Mrs May was handed documents to back up the London Taxi drivers request.

As London Taxi drivers, we need to put pressure on the Prime Minister to grant a full public inquiry into TfL. You can help by completing a short form to send this pre-written and personalised email to your local MP. This has been written from your perspective as a London Taxi driver on how you have been affected by the governments and TfL's malfeasance.

In addition to this, we would highly recommend you request a visit to their constituents surgery to personally ask for assistance.

Please click on link below to be taken to the Point Cab Page. Submit postcode, then follow instructions (it only takes a minute to complete.

                      >>CLICK HERE<<

This email will be sent to your MP.

Dear MP Name

The iconic black cab is under threat and as one of your constituents, I am asking you to help avert this disaster.

It took me around 3 and half years of self-funded studying to earn the right to Ply 4 Hire as a licensed taxi driver. The licensed London Taxi trade gives people the opportunity to fulfil their hopes and aspirations. It is also a great equaliser that rewards endeavour over privilege.

I worked hard to attain my license, and to purchase the prescribed purpose built vehicle that TfL says I must use to work as a taxi driver, and I contribute to the UK economy as a self-sufficient sole trader. I didn't foresee fighting an unjust battle against a global multi-national corporation in Uber. More-so, I never imagined that the company would have close personal links with the (former) PM and TfL would bend over backwards to embed them into the system.

David Cameron and George Osborne are named in these two stories from the Daily Mail, detailing their extremely close links to Uber. This has led to many calling the situation corrupt and malfeasance by 10 Downing Street.

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http://ift.tt/2nUT8Iq

Uber Technologies Inc. has a rapacious predatory pricing policy intended solely to annihilate the lives of individuals who, like me, fulfil every one of TfL’s licensing requirements. Amidst all of this, and despite Uber Technologies Inc. being valued at $64B, they choose to domicile their tax affairs in the Bahamas via the Netherlands.

I find it outrageous that hard working tax payers are shouldering the burden of a company that disregards our democratic constitution. I am further outraged that our government, policy-makers and regulators continue to facilitate nefarious practices that are injurious to law abiding citizens. This is nothing short of malfeasance. It matters not if their service is favoured, no one should advocate covert political agendas engineered to displace a legitimate workforce using an illegally licensed one.

I am perpetually reminded that I should welcome a free market, after all, it's the customers right to choose? However, what we are experiencing is the antithesis of a free market. In short, it is a state enabled take-over of a regulated trade.

Effectively, TfL continue to facilitate Uber to flood the streets of London despite unsustainable congestion and pollution recorded at 5 X the EU limit. Even though my vehicle conforms to the EU 5 emissions strategy, from next year, I'm expected to help clean the air quality by purchasing the new Zero Emissions Capable Taxi costing in excess of £45,000. How can this be considered as anything other than a stealth drive into Bankruptcy.

The Mayor of London is ultimately accountable for TfL’s performance and conduct, and is answerable to the London assembly. The London Assembly are able to carry out investigations into TfL’s activities and there are a number of recorded cases where this just isn’t working.

• TfL is documented lying to the GLA regarding public hire insurance and licensing requirements.
• TfL management versed Uber on ‘terminology’ to avoid regulatory implications, via email, telephone and ‘coffee shop’ meetings.
• TfL state assisted Uber in the high court by robustly defending their modus operandi when seeking a ruling to define what constitutes a taxi meter?
• TfL Senior management are aware that Uber’s business model never satisfied the 1998 PH regulations.
• TfL Senior management have moulded secondary legislation to accommodate Uber’s business model.
• The GLA’s Future Proof (Taxi and Private Hire Services in London) noted cross party support for 19 recommendations. None of which have been addressed.

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• An undercover report by The Sun newspaper found PH drivers were obtaining fraudulent medicals.

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• A report carried out by Theo Usherwood highlighted how easy it is to obtain a PHV license without the correct paperwork.

http://ift.tt/2o8DlGv

Please treat this letter with appropriation and the uppermost seriousness by writing to the Prime Minister, Theresa May with my request for a genuine and transparent public inquiry into Transport for London.

Please can I have copies of their reply.

Yours sincerely

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Ex-Prime MinistDavid Cameron to stand down as MP

Former Prime Minister David Cameron is standing down as an MP, triggering a by-election in his Witney seat.

Mr Cameron, who quit as Prime Minister shortly after the EU referendum, said he had "thought about (his future as an MP) long and hard over the summer", deciding it was now "the right thing to do to stand down" from his constituency in Oxfordshire.

He added: "In my view, in modern politics, with the circumstances of my resignation, it isn't really possible to be a proper backbench MP as a former Prime Minister.

"I think everything you do will become a big distraction and a big diversion from what the Government needs to do for our country."

>FULL STORY CLICK HERE<

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As The House Of Cards Collapses .... Garret Emmerson First To Leave The Sinking Ship

Garret Emmerson has decided to quit his £184,999 job as Cheif Operating Officer For Surface Transport just days after he #Ubetgate scandal broke in the daily mail.

News broke last night that one of TfL's top staff had resigned and a crisis meeting of the directors was called. Garrett departure was confirmed this morning by TfLTPH General Manager Helen Chapman. 

An internal memo had been circulated to TfL staff his morning from Leon Daniels, Managing Director of Surface Transport, announcing the departure of Garrett Emmerson and confirmation was made around midday.

Memo from Leon Daniels said:

I am sad to announce that Garrett Emmerson, Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport, will be leaving us.

After nearly eight years in the role of Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport (and before that, as TfL’s Director of Strategy & Policy), I am sad to announce that Garrett Emmerson has decided the time is right for him to move on from TfL and seek new career opportunities and challenges elsewhere.....

Meanwhile on a train to Brussels Mayor Sadiq Khan was interviewed by LBC, in the light of the story which has been breaking in the Daily Mail and Financial Times, concerning Downing Street leaning on the previous Mayor Boris Johnson, to go easy on the San Francisco based minicab booking app, even though they didn't meet the strict regulations other minicab operators have had to meet.

The saga continues and is far from over as rumours abound that a second high profile member of TfL has also resigned....more news as and when it becomes confirmed. 

   

Who will be next ?

Below Peter Blake being interviewed by Nick Ferrari

 

    

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STATEMENT FROM THE ITA: PROTEST! AGAINST GOVERNMENT AND UBER CORRUPTION!

STATEMENT FROM THE ITA...

DEMONSTRATION AT THE CONSERVATIVE  PARTY HQ ON THURSDAY. 

PROTEST! AGAINST GOVERNMENT AND UBER CORRUPTION! 

11:00 Thursday 30 March 2017. Matthew Parker Street. 

ON FOOT. 

BE THERE IF YOU CARE!!!

PLEASE LUSTEN TO LBC's JAMES O'BRIAN 

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George Osborne's email to Boris Johnson over Uber made James O'Brien "sick to his stomach". And either you'll feel the same, or you're on the payroll.

The former Chancellor wrote an email to Boris Johnson, asking him to ease off restrictions which made it harder for Uber to operate.

 He said: "The moment George Osborne heard rumours that Boris Johnson was considering rules which would make life harder for his close friend Rachel Whetstone, he sent an angry text message to the London Mayor."

Saying that he was about to read the Daily Mail article word-for-word, he added: "If you find my politics problematic in the past, just have a listen to this.

"Anybody who doesn't feel sick to their stomach about these words has got something wrong with them. Or they're on the payroll."

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Cameron aide's uber 'cover up

The ex-PM allegedly told aides to lobby Boris Johnson against curbs to Uber

No 10 adviser swapped emails with senior staff working for then London mayor

Downing Street had failed to divulge details of the alleged lobbying operation

Transport for London officials released the details of the correspondence 

David Cameron's Downing Street was accused of a blatant cover-up last night over failed plans to crack down on Uber.

The ex-PM and George Osborne allegedly told aides to lobby Boris Johnson against curbs on the online taxi firm.

The Daily Mail revealed on Saturday that a No 10 adviser swapped emails with senior staff working for the then London mayor.

Read full story here:

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Catalogue Of Disasters….Or Comedy Of Errors

The last 3 months at Uber, have to go down as one of the worst starts to the year of any major business, ever.

 

A stunning string of blows that have upended the world's most valuable startup.

Uber's off to a bad start in 2017.... but the year is getting worse by the day for the $69 billion ride-hailing company.

In January, Uber lost more than 200,000 customers in a single weekend after the #DeleteUber movement led to a fury of account deletions by customers upset about its ties to President Trump.

But that was just a prelude to Uber's no-good, very bad month. During the roughly 30-day period of mid-February to mid-March, the company has been pummeled by a seemingly never-ending barrage of bad news, with a new crisis almost every day.

If business schools need a new case study for a company in a PR disaster, Uber's last month is as perfect an example as can be found. And it's still not clear how Uber will right its ship.

Here's everything that's happened to Uber in the last month:  >CLICK HERE.<

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TfL's Nightmare Continues... Does TfL Owe The Whole Taxi Trade A Small Fortune ? .. By Jik a Thomas

We don't have the full details so far and it's still to be confirmed, but our attention has been drawn to a series of Tweets made by a driver who alleges he's taken TfL to court and won. 

H tweets say so far, TfL have offered no defence. 

If this information is correct as we believe may be, this court decision could cost TfL a small fortune as it affects every single one of the 25,000 licensed  taxi drivers, who've complied with the new CC sticker regulations. 

Taxi driver Jamie Hawes has tweeted that he has taken TfL to court asking for payment from for using his taxi as a free advertising hoarding for credit card companies. 

Jamie believes TfL should pay him £18 a day for the adverts they have forced him to put in his vehicle ..... and allegedly, the court has agreed.

He has also asked for his licence fee to be refunded, in light of the fact that TFL board member Ron Kalifa -via worldpay benefits club- has favoured uber over black cabs, a clear breach of contract. 

This judgement means that TfL may have to refund every drivers licence fees. 

This obviously begs the question, why none of our representative orgs/ Unions have taken on TfL over these issues in a class action on behalf of their members?

So Mr McNamara it's obviously not a done deal after all... 

This could also get much worse for TfL. If an inquiry finds malfeasance from its directors, compensation could also be due for loss of earnings. 

Good news stories about TfL are just like their busses. You wait ages for one, then three come along together... 

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Uber's House Of Cards ... About To Crumble ?

Please, do not miss this opportunity to get Uber in court

Your cheap Uber ride might cost 20% more if the company loses a legal battle over taxes in the UK.

Jolyon Maugham QC is a respected barrister who is suing Uber through his non-profit, the Good Law Project, for alleged unpaid VAT.

In a case update, the Good Law Project estimated that Uber will have to charge passengers more, cut drivers' fees, or reduce its own cut of fares if the company loses the case.

In a press statement, the Good Law Project said: "The consequences for Uber's business model are profound. Going forward, it may have to raise its prices by as much as 20%, reduce the wages it pays to drivers, or charge a smaller fee.

"It will also be forced to hand over a percentage of all UK fare income for the last four years to HMRC. Because VAT is an EU tax, Uber's businesses in other countries will also be affected."

       Jolyon Maugham QC is suing Uber. Jolyon Maugham

The thinking is that Uber can currently afford to undercut rivals and give you cheaper fares because it doesn't pay as much tax as it should. And since it claims drivers are all self-employed, it doesn't need to pay costs like national insurance. It also claims it it isn't a transportation service provider, and therefore isn't liable to pay VAT.

That might all change.

Maugham has just sent a letter before action to Uber, which is a precursor to formally recovering a debt through legal means.

The debt, in this case, is a VAT receipt for one of Maugham's Uber journeys.

If Uber is "compelled" to provide a VAT receipt, it is then liable to pay VAT to the UK's tax authority HMRC.

Maugham's argument hinges on Uber  losing an employment tribunal in the UK last year. The tribunal ruled that Uber's UK workers were entitled to minimum wage, among other benefits. It also held that Uber was a transportation service, saying: "It is unreal to deny Uber is in a business as a supplier of transportation services." And if Uber is a transportation service, then it's liable for VAT.

Maugham calculated that Uber owes at least £20 million in unpaid tax, and said he'll take Uber to the UK High Court in April.

An Uber spokesman said: "Drivers who use the Uber app are subject to the same VAT laws as any other transportation provider in the UK."

Don't miss the opportunity to help Jo get Uber into court :

Use this link below to donate 

>http://ift.tt/2nLYD9i<

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San Francisco wants Lyft/Uber data to determine how much traffic congestion they cause

Brighton Taxi Drivers, Oppose The Arrival Of Uber In The City.... Sky Channel 963 Tonight

Don't forget to tune in to Sky channel 963 tonight at 7:30

The BBC, with assistance from locally based Latest TV company, will be detailing the problems being faced by local Taxi drivers.

The program will be entitled -Brighton Taxi drivers, oppose the arrival of Uber in the City-

Local drivers are claiming that their streets are being overwhelmed by Uber private hire vehicles, the majority of whom are licensed by Transport for London (TfL). The TfL licensed vehicles are also being joined by Uber cars from all over the country.

Because Brighton's licensing enforcement is as bad as London's, local drivers are seriously worried for public.  

BBC Inside Out program goes out tonight at 19:30 on the BBC1 South-East Region (sky channel 963) but will be available immediately after transmission on the BBC iPlayer nationally.

BBC will follow this up with an Inside Out Episode in Manchester, detailing the problem of cross border working in Manchester. 

To be aired Monday Mar 27, at 19:30 hrs

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Marks And Spencer Latest Company To Stop Advertising With Google Over YouTube Videos

Google boss apology as M&S becomes latest to suspend ads over hate videos

The world of online advertising can be a dizzying world of acronyms - you start talking about Google advertising, and you end up with GDN, SEO, DSP and DBM all littering the conversation.

But one thing is clear - Google has a problem here.

A serious problem that goes to the heart of what this company does, and what it stands for.

Now, you might imagine that Google would consider itself a huge player in the media world.

Look in the Oxford dictionary and you'll find that "media" refers to "mass communication", and not much can fall into that category more than our social media giants.

YouTube collates a vast amount of information and content and, like Facebook, plays a pivotal role in the way news is consumed around the world.

Over a billion people are regular YouTube users and hundreds of millions of videos - possibly billions, depending on which statistics you believe - are watched every day.

And yet Google says it's not a media company.

It insists it is, instead, solely a technology company, and should be regulated as such.

Source : Sky News 

THATS FUNNY, INSISTING THEY'RE A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY....

WHERE HAVE WE HEARD THAT BEFORE ???

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BBC’S INSIDE OUT AND BRIGHTON’S LATEST TV, TO HIGHLIGHT UBER CROSS-BORDER ISSUES

Locally based “Latest TV“  have given excellent coverage of the grave situation in Brighton and Hove with regard to the unacceptable number of Uber vehicles and drivers licensed by Transport for London flooding the City. The Brighton Taxi Trade were impressed with the coverage and approached them again to do a follow up programme of the worsening situation in the City.

This has prompted BBC's "Inside Out " to do a feature (with Latest TV’s assistance) chronicling the issues on the streets of Brighton with the BBC titling it, ‘…Brighton Taxi drivers, oppose the arrival of Uber in the City…’.

What we are seeing in Brighton & Hove is a “race to  the bottom” with local safety based conditions and geographical knowledge being undermined by Uber vehicles and drivers licensed where it is cheapest and easiest to do so. Brighton & Hove is littered on a daily (and nightly) basis with a flood of out of area vehicles, predominantly Transport for London (TfL) ‘Minicabs’ being ‘operated’ by Uber.

This together with a “liquorice all-sorts” style mixture of other Uber vehicles from all over the Country, the “most distant” being vehicles and drivers from South Cambridgeshire. 

With TfL’s historic casual ‘laissez-faire’ attitude to enforcement in Brighton, who can be sure exactly who is driving these vehicles and/or whether they are actually licensed, properly insured, roadworthy or even safe!!!

BBC’s Inside Out and Brighton’s Latest TV Highlight UBER Cross-border Issues: 

BBC Inside Out airs at 19:30 on Monday 20th March 2017 on the BBC1 South-East Region (sky channel 963) but will be available immediately after transmission on the BBC iPlayer nationally.

Apart from contributions in the programme from amongst the Brighton Trade, Unite and GMB unions, there is also contribution and comment from the London & Southend taxi trades.

Source : Cab Trade News. 

Also, keep an eye out for the Channel 4 Dispatches program, who will be highlighting the security risk at St Pancras, where TfL are turning a blind eye to Private Hire openly touting. 

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Advertising giant drops Google in storm over extremist and anti-Semitic videos

Update on Google Advertising Scandal :

Advertising giant drops Google in storm over extremist videos

One of the world's largest advertising agencies has pulled all of its UK clients from Google because of its failure to prevent adverts appearing next to extremist content, following exclusive revelations in The Times

This video by Evalion, a baby-faced Canadian blogger, was removed when her YouTube channel was shut down. Her clips can be found elsewhere, however. She says in the footage: “Behind every major problem you find Jewish people”

YouTube and its parent company Google have been accused of continuing to host thousands of anti-Semitic hate videos in defiance of their own guidelines, as the UK government announced it was withdrawing advertising from the global video-sharing giant.

French advertising agency Havas,  one of the world’s largest marketing groups, pulled hundreds of UK clients out of Google’s advertising network Friday after revelations in theTimes newspaper that taxpayers and commercial brands were unknowingly funding extremists through adverts. Dozens of other brands have also allegedly withdrawn their business while Havas said it was also considering a global freeze on YouTube and Google ads.

Video Google Highlights ‘Offensive’ Search Results

The Times found adverts were appearing alongside content from supporters of extremist groups, making them around £6 per 1,000 viewers, as well as making money for the company.

The Times has now revealed why the commercial retreat from YouTube has gathered pace with its analysis showing that more than 200 anti-Semitic videos are hosted on YouTube. In selective cases, the offensive videos were uploaded years ago and have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. Some even hosted advertising, suggesting anti-Semites may be enjoying a commercial advantage from perceived association with well-known brands, the newspaper reports.

Content of the videos varied, but relied on common themes that claimed Jews start global conflicts for profit, or perpetuate the ancient blood libel that Jews kill Christian children while keeping others as slaves. Holocaust denial is another thematic variation.

A spokeswoman told the Times: “Google believes in the right for people to express views that we and many others find abhorrent, but we do not tolerate hate speech. We have clear policies against inciting violence or hatred and we remove content that breaks our rules or is illegal when we’re made aware of it.”

Google does not actively look for hate content on YouTube. Instead its policy is to wait for users to flag it up. It said that with 400 hours of video uploaded every minute, it would be impossible to proactively police.

Meanwhile the BBC reports the UK government has removed its adverts from YouTube amid concerns they are appearing next to “inappropriate” material. In one case, Metropolitan Police promotions appeared alongside Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic organisation calling for the establishment of a global caliphate under Sharia law, which is banned in many countries.

The Cabinet Office said it was seeking assurances from YouTube’s owner Google that its messages would be displayed in a “safe and appropriate way” in future. The Guardian newspaper, broadcaster Channel 4 and the BBC itself have also pulled ads citing similar worries over grossly offensive material.

During a recent appearance before the Commons Home Affairs Committee, executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google were told they had a “terrible reputation” for dealing with problems and censured for not policing their content more effectively, given the billions they made.

Yvette Cooper MP, Chair of the Committee, said:

“We’ve seen too many cases of vile online hate crimes, harassment or threats where social media companies have failed to act.

“It cannot be beyond the wit and means of multi-billion dollar social media companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Google to develop ways to better protect users from hatred and abuse. They have a duty to do so. We will be asking the companies about specific cases, why they didn’t act, and what they intend to do about it now.”

In response, Google is now directing its review teams to flag content that might come across as upsetting or offensive in search results.

As Breitbart Tech reported, the review teams – comprised of contractors known as “quality raters” – already comb through websites and other content to flag questionable items such as pornography. Google added a new category, “upsetting-offensive,” in its guidelines for quality raters. For example, content with “racial slurs or extremely offensive terminology” could now get flagged as such

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Sadiq Khan and George Osborne's unlikely friendship

Another Serious Sexual Assault In A Minicab, This Time At St Pancras Drop Off.

More breaking news just in as we hear that a young lady has been assaulted in the back of a minicab -sporting blacked out windows- in the drop off bay at St Pancras Station on Pancras Road. 

This attack can be clearly attributed to the lack of enforcement from our woefully inadequate regulator, TfLTPH. The monster they've created needs enforcement morning, noon and especially at night. Not just for a few minutes every so often. 

But then TfL have always turned their back and denighed the escalation of sexual assaults, they have even massaged statistics to cover up their failure. What the public should understand most of all -according to Susie Lamplugh trust- only 10% of sexual attacks are reported to police. 

Marshals, More Harm Than Good ?

Many drivers feel that powerless marshals supplied for a few hours every week, do more harm than good. 

It's alleged this gives TfL an excuse to avoid the worst affected areas. 

I have personaly experience jobs being held back for other Taxis. 

Many times we've seen marshals taking up much needed space on the ranks they are marshalling, with a Taxis having then to over rank. 

Since the Mayfair ranks have been marshalled over the weekends, operation neon officers have all but disappeared and touting has increased. 

We all knew that yesterday's highly visual display at St Pancras by 8 compliance officers, was no more than a knee jerk reaction to Wednesday's blockade, organised by the Independent Taxi Alliance  and Dads Defending Daughters. 

We all know from past experience that this sudden show of force won't be comprehensive and certainly wouldn't be permanent. Public safety deserves preventative measures not reactive after thoughts. 

Taxi Leaks has campaigned for years to get blacked out windows banned in private hire vehicles, as it's felt by many rape support groups that th restricted view actually facilitates in-vehicle sexual assaults.

Other news from this week:

Hostilities have suddenly escalated between Ajit Chambers and LTDA general secretary Steve McNamara. 

In statement on Twitter yesterday, Ajit alleged that while in a telephone conversation, Steve McNamara said "if Black cab drivers don't like the situation with Uber, they can get another job".

An hour later, the LTDA twitter feed anonymously posted a single word reply.

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GEORGE OSBORNE MP - PICK A JOB...MP Or Paper Editor?

It's your job to serve your constituents. Either stand down as an MP or quit your job as editor of the Evening Standard.

Why is this important?

George Osborne has just accepted a job as editor of the Evening Standard. But he’s already got a full-time job as an MP, representing tens of thousands of people who live in his constituency, including me.

It’s not appropriate for someone to be a member of the government and also control a huge amount of the media. George Osborne needs to pick a job.

The Evening Standard newspaper said its publication schedule “will enable Mr Osborne to edit the paper and continue to fulfil his other commitments, including as an MP; giving him the time to vote and contribute in parliament in the afternoon after the paper has gone to print, and be in his constituency.”

But what about when he needs to be an MP in the morning? No other full-time job would let you just work afternoons. And when it comes to standing up for constituents - helping someone in need or providing vital support to struggling families - that should always be George Osborne’s number one priority.

              >Click Here To Sign Petition <

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Helen Mirren Upsetting Minority Communities, Again... By Gerald Coba.

YouTube hate preachers share screens with household names

Google is to be hauled in front of MPs and brands have scrambled to pull their advertisements from YouTube after research by The Times showed commercial campaigns supporting extremist material

After upsetting the Taxi trade, by advertising free rides home with a certain Rape App, aired during the Super Bowl, Helen Mirren has now upset and insulted the Gay community on YouTube.

Just as Steven Anderson reaches the climax of his latest hate-filled sermon, uploaded each week on to YouTube, he is replaced on computer screens by a close-up image of the actress Helen Mirren.

Dame Helen appears in a L’Oréal campaign for the Prince’s Trust, the charity set up to empower young people to get into jobs, education and training. The advert appeared while Anderson’s sermon was playing, its inclusive message clashing with the bearded preacher’s exhortations that homosexuals “were not born that way, but they will burn in hell that way”.

L’Oréal was far from the only brand to advertise on YouTube videos posted on behalf of Anderson, despite the preacher being banned from Britain last year after responding to a terrorist attack on a gay club. 

Big name brands are now deserting Google big time, over the way adverts have been placed on unsuitable videos feeds. 

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