Palantir Plans Suit Over Blocked £50 Million Met Police Deal as UK Reviews £330 Million NHS Contract
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 9
Palantir Plans Suit Over Blocked £50 Million Met Police Deal as UK Reviews £330 Million NHS Contract
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 9
Summary
Palantir has told the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime it intends to challenge in court Sadiq Khan’s decision to halt a £50 million Metropolitan Police software contract.
Khan’s office said the Met breached procurement rules by failing to present its strategy properly and by fully engaging with only one potential supplier — Palantir — leaving value for money inadequately demonstrated.
The blocked deal would have used Palantir software to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations, and Khan’s intervention in late May opened a public rift between City Hall and Britain’s largest police force.
Scrutiny is widening beyond the Met contract: the government is reviewing whether to extend or break Palantir’s £330 million NHS deal from early 2027 after a parliamentary committee urged ministers to exit.
That pressure has been amplified by backlash to Palantir’s public ideological statements, with ministers and Labour MPs arguing departments should diversify away from heavy reliance on a small group of US tech suppliers.
Is blocking Palantir on ethical grounds risking UK public safety and healthcare efficiency?
Can Britain build its own Palantir to end its reliance on controversial American spy-tech?
Is Palantir's 'supervillain' reputation a deliberate marketing strategy for its data software?
The £380 Million Question: Palantir, Procurement Failures, and the Future of UK Public Sector Data
Overview
This report examines how mounting public and political pressure led London Mayor Sadiq Khan to block a £50 million Metropolitan Police contract with Palantir in May 2026, citing failures in procurement rules. The backlash was fueled by widespread anger over Palantir’s alleged involvement in controversial international operations and concerns about its ethical record. These events highlight deep worries about data sovereignty, ethics, and public trust when sensitive public sector data is managed by private tech firms. The situation underscores the urgent need for transparent procurement, alternative technology options, and stronger safeguards for national data control.