Met Police Palantir contract blocked by City Hall

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Met Police Palantir contract blocked by City Hall2 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleAdriana ElguetaLondonEPA/ShutterstockThe Metropolitan Police has been blocked from signing a contract worth up to £50m with the US technology firm Palantir, after London's deputy mayor refused to approve the deal. The Met had proposed a £25. 3m contract with Palantir UK for 2026-27 to support criminal investigations and reforms aimed at improving the force's culture and standards.

It included an optional one-year extension worth a further £24. But the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) said it was not satisfied the Met had adequately ensured or demonstrated value for money. It also cited concerns around the firm's values and ethics, although legally this cannot influence a deal refusal.

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The Met said the decision was "disappointing" as it "needed to use the best technology available". Palantir said their software was already used by a number of police forces and helps to tackle serious corruption. Palantir, founded by the US billionaire Peter Thiel, has faced criticism over its work with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Israeli military, prompting calls for public bodies to consider the ethics when awarding contracts.

A spokesperson for City Hall said "a broader question remains over whether a company's values and ethics should be considered during public procurement". "The mayor believes Londoners would want public funding to go only to companies that share the city's values, but this is not currently possible under procurement law," they said. "He is expected to raise the issue with the government in due course.

"They added that there were wider concerns about public sector contracts that can lock buyers into a single supplier, with costs rising over time and few options to switch provider. In a letter to the force sent on Wednesday, the deputy mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said the Met had failed to obtain approval from MOPAC for its procurement strategy, despite being specifically reminded of the requirement. She described this as a "clear and serious breach" of the rules.

Comer-Schwartz said the Met had only seriously engaged with one potential supplier, Palantir, and had not adequately tested the market to establish whether the firm was the best or most economical provider. She also raised concerns about cost. The contract's value had risen from an initial estimate of £15m - £25m a year to the top of that range following direct negotiations with Palantir, and she was not satisfied the Met could fund it without "unacceptable adverse impact" on other budgets.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.