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Best of the Spectator

The gig economy – how far have we come?

Best of the Spectator

The Spectator

News Commentary, News, Daily News, Society & Culture

4.4785 Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2022

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When Uber arrived in Britain ten years ago, the app transformed the way people move around cities. All of a sudden, at the click of a button, city dwellers could order a car for a competitive price which would arrive within minutes.

To some policymakers, this hailed a new way of working and putting consumers first. Since then, a lot has changed. Uber came under strict regulatory obstacles and many more app-based competitors have entered the market. But the business has transformed with the times. Whilst emblematic of the gig economy, are the critics right about driver treatment? And does more regulation create barriers for the customer?

Fraser Nelson, The Spectator's editor is joined on this special podcast by an Uber driver, Kasey to talk about her experience working with Uber; Andrew Brem, General Manager for Uber's UK business, Robert Colville, Sunday Times columnist and director of the Centre for Policy Studies; and Kirsty Innes who is the head of digital government at the Tony Blair Institute.

This podcast is kindly sponsored by Uber. 

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to this special edition of a Spectator podcast. I'm Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator,

0:14.1

and I've been a fairly frequent Uber user over the years. Uber came to Britain about 10 years ago, transformed the way that's certainly

0:23.1

Londoners, and those in other cities came to view taxis. All of a sudden, in your pocket,

0:28.2

you could get a car two or three minutes away for a third of the price of a black cab. And to Vittoris,

0:34.1

this wasn't just about Uber. This was about a whole new way of working, a whole new way of availing yourself of services,

0:40.3

of taking on vested interests and putting consumers first.

0:45.0

Since then, a lot has changed.

0:47.4

Uber has ended up being regulated, and they are now giving their drivers holiday pay, amongst

0:52.8

other benefits.

0:53.9

They've had lots of more competitors, we've had Bolt and we've had Captain and other such apps.

1:00.0

And Uber, of course, is now a rather different beast to the one we saw 10 years ago.

1:06.0

It is in many ways emblematic of the gig economy, the way in which people could decide to pick up

1:12.4

a nap and work two or three hours if they want to, and then not, in exchange for full pay.

1:17.9

But were those people being exploited, should they be given holiday pay? And similarly,

1:22.5

if you regulate it too much, are you going to end up with a lack of drivers in a very different

1:26.9

service? So this is a podcast about Uber, sponsored by Uber, and Are you going to end up with a lack of drivers in a very different service?

1:32.8

So this is a podcast about Uber, sponsored by Uber, and we're going to be talking to Uber's general manager about the challenges facing his company and the gig economy in general.

1:38.7

But first of all, I'm delighted to be joined by an Uber driver. Her name is Casey, and she is

1:44.0

here to tell us a little bit more about what it feels like from her position an Uber driver. Her name is Casey, and she is here to tell us a little bit more

1:45.5

about what it feels like from her position in the driver's seat. So Casey, thanks really much for

1:50.7

joining me on this spectator podcast. First question, when did you become an Uber driver,

1:55.7

and why did you decide to start? I started driving Uber in 2016. I left my full-time job in 2013 to create my own

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