Black Cabs vs Uber: this could make the Lib Dem selection for Mayor very interesting

There may not have been that many policy differences so far during the Liberal Democrat leadership race, but policy could play a big role in that to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for London Mayor.

The issue can be summed up in just four letters: Uber.

Although Caroline Pidgeon is very much the frontrunner in the field of six, she is also a firm favourite with the Black Cab taxi drivers. Usually being popular with a vocal and influential group of voters is a good thing. In this case, however, it comes with an edge – for there’s a growing contest between Black Cab drivers and Uber.

You can frame it to your taste as either the future versus the past or rule-breakers versus rule-keepers.

What it does mean, though, is there is plenty of political space for one (or more) of the other would-be Mayor candidates to make an issue out of this, and judging by the reactions from Liberal Democrat members when Caroline and other senior figures have criticised Uber in the past, there’s plenty of popularity to be garnered with party members by being the pro-Uber rather than the pro-Black Cabs candidate.

Will any want to make a fight of it?