The judge who ruled on Uber’s right to operate in London has stepped down from the case over her husband’s links to a Qatari investor in the ride-hailing app.
Emma Arbuthnot, the chief magistrate who awarded the company a 15-month probationary licence in June amid a bitter dispute with the city authorities, has withdrawn from further hearings after questions were raised about potential conflicts of interest.
Her husband, James Arbuthnot, a former MP for the ruling Conservative party, worked for a strategy firm that advised the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which has invested in the ride-hailing app.
“The chief magistrate had been due to hear a licensing appeal by Uber in Brighton at a date to be fixed,” a spokesperson for the for the judiciary said.
“As soon as the link was pointed out to her, she assigned the case to a fellow judge. It is essential that judges not only are, but are seen to be, absolutely impartial.”
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Mr Arbuthnot was a director of SC Strategy Ltd until 31 December 2017, three weeks after the start of Uber’s London appeal. One of SC Strategy’s few known clients is QIA.
Judge Arbuthnot’s ruling had salvaged Uber’s right to operate, after it was deemed not a “fit and proper” company in September 2017 over a number of issues that included the company’s failure to report serious criminal offences and the use of technology to allegedly evade law enforcement.
According to her ruling, the appointment of a new management team in the UK was a factor in granting a new licence.
Transport officials said that almost half of all drivers working for a private hire or taxi operators that were convicted of a sexual offence last year were working for Uber.
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The five pillars of Islam
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
