Calls to halt UK Palantir contracts develop amid ‘lack of transparency’ over offers

[ad_1] Labour ought to halt public contracts with the US tech firm Palantir, opposition politicians have mentioned, amid rising concern on the lack of presidency transparency over dealings with the corporate and Peter Mandelson.

Since 2023, Palantir has secured greater than £500m in contracts with the NHS and the Ministry of Defence (MoD), whereas it employed World Counsel, the lobbying agency based by Mandelson. Emails launched by the US Division of Justice present Mandelson sought assist from Jeffrey Epstein to search out “wealthy people” as purchasers.

The federal government has for months blocked makes an attempt by MPs and campaigners to scrutinise Palantir’s offers. Requests for details about conferences between the corporate’s management with Keir Starmer and the previous prime minister Boris Johnson had been amongst these which have been refused.

With Palantir now increasing its AI-powered know-how into British policing, the federal government is dealing with calls to freeze its involvement with the Denver-based firm, which was co-founded by the Donald Trump-backing billionaire Peter Thiel, who additionally had a relationship with Epstein. It additionally supplies its navy know-how to the Israel Protection Forces and to Trump’s ICE immigration crackdown.

On Thursday, Martin Wrigley MP, a Liberal Democrat member of the Commons know-how choose committee, referred to as for a parliamentary debate on “the suitability of Palantir” as a provider to vital nationwide infrastructure. Wrigley informed the Guardian: “I might halt any additional contracts with Palantir till we've a transparent image of how these [existing contracts] happened.”

The Inexperienced celebration chief, Zack Polanski, wrote to the well being secretary, Wes Streeting, urging him to interrupt a £330m contract between Palantir and the NHS. The deal to run a “federated information platform” has confronted opposition from the British Medical Affiliation, with some NHS trusts having elevating doubts about its effectiveness.

Polanski mentioned Palantir “has completely no place within the NHS, taking care of sufferers’ private information … I perceive there's a break clause within the contract this 12 months and I might urge you to not renew the contract of such a disreputable company”.

A spokesperson for Palantir mentioned its “software program helps to ship higher public providers within the UK. That features delivering extra NHS operations, serving to Royal Navy ships to remain at sea for longer and serving to the police to deal with home violence”.

On Wednesday, Starmer introduced plans to launch paperwork regarding Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US, with exemptions for materials which will have an effect on nationwide safety and worldwide relations.

The federal government has beforehand blocked a number of makes an attempt to make use of freedom of data legal guidelines to analyze Mandelson’s appointment and Palantir’s contracts. In June, Downing Road rejected a request from the truthful tech marketing campaign Foxglove to publish briefings to Starmer earlier than his go to with Mandelson to a Palantir showroom in Washington DC, the place they met the tech firm’s chief govt, Alex Karp. Palantir signed a £241m cope with the MoD final month.

Alex Karp. An FoI request to see briefings to Starmer earlier than his assembly with the tech firm’s chief govt had been rejected. {Photograph}: Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA The go to didn't seem within the prime minister’s register of visits and Downing Road rejected an FoI request. In October, Downing Road responded to an identical request saying there have been no briefings or minutes “as this was not a proper assembly”.

A authorities spokesperson mentioned: “Ministers interact with a variety of firms as a part of their worldwide journey and Palantir is a longstanding investor within the UK.”

In July, the International Workplace was requested by Democracy for Sale, an investigative publication, for details about Mandelson’s declaration of curiosity earlier than his appointment as ambassador. It additionally needed to see any official evaluation of potential conflicts of curiosity. Once more the federal government refused, on this event citing “prejudice to the efficient conduct of public affairs”.

It admitted there might be “a powerful public curiosity in understanding if any conflicts of curiosity might impede his work on behalf of [the government]”, however mentioned launch would undermine confidentiality which is meant to encourage senior officers to “present the fullest potential disclosure”. Starmer this week informed parliament Mandelson “lied repeatedly to my group when requested about his relationship with Epstein, earlier than and through his tenure as ambassador”.

The data commissioner is now investigating the International Workplace refusal in addition to one other refusal by the Division of Well being and Social Care in June to launch copies of official experiences about Palantir’s NHS federated information platform. It withheld these paperwork on the grounds confidentiality was wanted to permit the formulation of presidency coverage.

In December the MoD refused to launch a partnership settlement signed by the defence secretary, John Healey, and Palantir’s Karp in London, which preceded final month’s £241m contract with Palantir. The MoD mentioned a launch might compromise the defence of the UK and prejudice the MoD’s capability to safe worth for cash from contractors.

Wrigley mentioned: “The shortage of transparency within the offers with Palantir is regarding. It's important that we've full transparency earlier than any extra back-room offers are struck. Palantir should show its worth in operational situations, and that it isn’t simply slick salesman’s guarantees.”