Tom Watson Joins Palantir Amid NHS and Police Contract Fights
The former Labour deputy leader takes a full-time role at the US AI firm as it battles pressure over major UK public sector deals.
Tom Watson, the Labour peer and former deputy party leader, has accepted a full-time position at Palantir, the controversial American artificial intelligence company currently embroiled in two high-profile UK contract disputes. Watson will work alongside Louis Mosley, Palantir's chief executive for the UK and Europe, according to reporting by The Guardian.
The hire comes as Palantir faces mounting political pressure over its £330 million contract with the National Health Service. Allies of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham — a former ministerial colleague of Watson's — have called on the government to cancel the agreement, putting the company on the defensive at a critical moment for its UK public sector ambitions.
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Simultaneously, Palantir is locked in a legal battle with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has moved to block a separate £50 million contract that would deploy the company's AI technology in Metropolitan Police investigations. The court fight underscores the political sensitivity surrounding Palantir's expanding footprint in British law enforcement and public services.
Despite the controversies, Palantir's UK operation already generates annual turnover of £427 million, and the company is actively seeking additional government work. Watson's appointment is the latest example of a former senior Labour figure moving into a prominent role at a US technology firm that operates at the intersection of data, artificial intelligence, and government contracting.
Continue reading at Business | The Guardian.