Sadiq Khan has been accused of putting politics over public safety after blocking a £50 million tech contract intended to help police bust crime gangs and kick out rogue officers.
Louis Mosley, the UK boss of Palantir, the US artificial intelligence giant with close links to Donald Trump, said Londoners valued not being mugged, not being raped by a serving police officer, rather than the company's political connections.
The Metropolitan Police also said it would likely have to cut officer numbers as a result of the decision by the Mayor of London. Scotland Yard had hoped the deal would allow its AI software to root through digital data it already has, such as phone records, to identify criminals and corrupt officers within its ranks. But City Hall has refused to sign off on the deal, citing concerns about value for money and the procurement process.
Palantir was founded by tech magnate Peter Thiel, a prominent donor to President Trump, and holds contracts with other UK public sector bodies, including other police forces. Sir Sadiq previously raised the issue of using public money to support firms who act contrary to London's values.
The firm's UK chief executive hit out at the decision. Mr Mosley, grandson of fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, said: I think this points to, frankly, a slippery slope. For a long time in this country, the Government has bought or procured from suppliers on the basis of objective standards. I think the mayor is putting politics over public safety. He talks about values, but I think what Londoners value is not being mugged, not being raped by a serving police officer, and that's really what the focus here should be.
Appearing on Times Radio, he questioned whether the anti-Brexit mayor would want to ban pub chain Wetherspoon, founded by Vote Leave campaigner Tim Martin. He said: If we're going to politicise procurement in that way, then we are going to compromise public safety. Not allowing the Metropolitan Police to have this software will give hostile states and criminals an advantage.
The Met said it was disappointed with the decision, especially given the technology was already in use by government departments including the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, and other police forces across England. A Scotland Yard spokesman said the decision would likely have an impact on frontline policing.
He said: The Met's financial position is well known – in the year ahead we face a £125m funding shortfall. To help meet that deficit we face reducing our workforce by 1,150 posts. The technology we want to introduce is crucial to maintaining our service to London while shrinking for the third consecutive year. Failing to introduce new technology to address back-office processes and build our effectiveness is the opposite of value for money. The technology has shown it can save much more than it costs and that it can improve performance.
Scotland Yard said it was in active discussion with the mayor's office and will continue to pursue every avenue to resolve this issue swiftly. A spokesman for Labour grandee Sir Sadiq said: Given the tight budgetary constraints the police and all public services are operating under, it is even more important that robust processes are followed when awarding contracts as large as £25 million a year. The public would expect full and proper scrutiny of whether contracts like this provide value for money. In this case, the Met only engaged with one potential supplier, Palantir. It also did not present their procurement strategy to the Deputy Mayor for approval as required. The process followed by the Metropolitan Police Service for the award of the contract has not adequately ensured, or demonstrated, value for money. MOPAC (the Mayor's Office for Police and Crime) fully support the Met using the very latest technology to drive efficiencies, but the correct processes must be followed, demonstrating value for money for the London taxpayer. Otherwise, the Met risks having to make further changes to compensate for their investment not working.
