Palantir accuses Sadiq Khan of 'putting politics over public safety' after £50m Met deal blocked

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Palantir: Mayor 'putting politics over safety'18 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleEPA/ShutterstockLondon Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has been accused of "putting politics over public safety" after blocking a £50m contract between the Metropolitan Police and US tech firm Palantir. Scotland Yard had been in talks to use the company's artificial intelligence to speed up criminal investigations. Palantir's UK chief executive Louis Mosley also said the decision would "give hostile states and criminals an advantage".

The Met has previously warned it will have to cut officer numbers if the deal does not proceed. Palantir, founded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a prominent donor to US President Donald Trump, already holds contracts with other UK public sector bodies. City Hall has raised concerns about value for money.

The Details

It is also understood Sir Sadiq intends to speak to the government about whether a company's ethics should be taken into account during procurement. Mosley told Times Radio: "Not allowing the Metropolitan Police to have this software will give hostile states and criminals an advantage. It'll mean they cannot put more officers on the front line.

"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. "The Business Secretary Peter Kyle, speaking on the same programme, said Sir Sadiq needed to "set out the reasons" for his decision.

He said: "We need to have more British AI companies that can do those kinds of things, which is why I've taken equity stakes in British AI firms and British tech firms, so that we can scale them up much, much faster. "'Clear and serious breach'On Thursday, the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) said Palantir was the only supplier the Met had seriously considered for the contract. MOPAC said the force had failed to present its procurement strategy for approval - calling it a "clear and serious breach" of procedure, despite the requirement being "specifically emphasised" to the Met.

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City Hall was originally told the contract would cost between £15m and £25m per year over two years. Following negotiations, the Met increased the figure to £25m so the total cost would be £50m. MOPAC said it was not satisfied the cost could be met across both years without placing "unacceptable" pressure on other budgets.

The Met has argued it needs new technology to remain effective amid staffing cutbacks. The mayor's office has been approached for comment. Listen to the best of Radio London on Sounds and follow London on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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