Palantir, the US spy-tech company, plans to sue London mayor Sadiq Khan after he blocked a £50 million contract between the firm and the Metropolitan Police. The Met had intended to use Palantir's software to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations, but Khan intervened in late May, citing a breach of procurement rules.
Khan's office confirmed that Palantir's lawyers have written to the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, threatening legal action. A spokesperson for Khan said the Met did not present its procurement strategy as required and only fully engaged with Palantir as a potential supplier. The decision was based on value for money, not political considerations.
The dispute is part of a broader backlash against Palantir's involvement with UK public bodies. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has ordered a full review of the NHS's £330 million contract with Palantir, while a parliamentary committee urged the government to trigger a break clause, calling the company's presence an “unacceptable point of weakness”.
Palantir has faced criticism for its public statements, including a mini-manifesto extolling US power and implying cultural superiority. Health Secretary Wes Streeting described some executives as “Blofeld villains”, and Labour MP Clive Lewis noted that France and Germany have avoided Palantir due to its unsavoury political connections.
