Explosive new allegations have surfaced, revealing a clandestine meeting between former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his then-chief aide Dominic Cummings with tech billionaire Peter Thiel. The secret rendezvous, which took place just weeks after the 2019 general election, was allegedly orchestrated to discuss a major government contract for Mr. Thiel's data analytics firm, Palantir.
The bombshell report, based on accounts from multiple government insiders, suggests the meeting was arranged without the knowledge of senior civil servants or other ministers, raising serious questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest at the highest levels of government.
A Covert Discussion Weeks After Election Victory
The alleged meeting is said to have occurred in the tumultuous transition period following the Conservatives' decisive December 2019 election victory. During this time, Mr. Cummings was shaping the new government's structure and priorities from his unofficial headquarters in 70 Whitehall.
According to sources, the discussion centred on Palantir's potential role in handling sensitive UK government data. The timing is particularly significant, as it preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Palantir would later secure substantial contracts for data processing work.
The Palantir Connection and Pandemic Profits
Palantir, co-founded by Peter Thiel, specialises in data analysis for intelligence and defence purposes. The company has faced ongoing scrutiny over its ethical standards and close ties to security services.
During the pandemic, Palantir secured contracts worth over £60 million for processing NHS data, despite concerns from privacy advocates and data protection experts. The revelation of this earlier, undisclosed meeting suggests the company's connections to Downing Street may have been established long before the coronavirus crisis began.
Whitehall Silence and Mounting Questions
Neither Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, nor representatives for Peter Thiel have denied the meeting took place. The Cabinet Office has declined to comment on what it describes as "historical matters," while Palantir has stated it never discusses private meetings.
This silence has only intensified scrutiny around the relationship between tech billionaires and UK government officials, particularly regarding the awarding of valuable public contracts without competitive tendering processes.
The allegations have sparked fresh concerns about transparency in government dealings and the influence of powerful tech figures on British policy and public spending decisions.
