Overview
- Palantir confirmed that Tom Watson has been promoted from part‑time adviser to senior vice‑president and will focus on the company’s defence, policing and NHS projects and on responding to criticism.
- The company said Watson has taken a leave of absence from the House of Lords and given up his parliamentary pass while working for Palantir.
- Palantir already holds a seven‑year, £330m contract to supply the NHS Federated Data Platform and a £240m Ministry of Defence deal, and it is in dispute with London’s mayor over a proposed £50m Metropolitan Police contract.
- Campaign groups and some MPs raised fresh demands for enforceable cooling‑off rules for former ministers and for reassessment of contested public contracts because they say ex‑politicians can trade on contacts and influence.
- Palantir’s wider reputation remains controversial because of past work with US immigration authorities and foreign militaries, which has prompted protests and fuelled questions about privacy, sovereign control of data and oversight of AI in public services.