Uber in Europe: Backseat driver

Mark McGann, Uber’s head of public policy in Europe, accepts the company has “made some real mistakes” but is seeking to take a more conciliatory approach. “When you grow as a start-up, you need to partner with governments and find people willing to take on vested interests,” he says. “There are people driving around big hunks of metal every day and, because they have been told that [Uber] is going to threaten their existence, that has led to immense opposition. Governments when faced with that threat have chosen to close us from the market.”