Palantir hits back at Sadiq Khan after £50m contract with Met police blocked
Palantir has criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan for blocking a £50 million contract with the Metropolitan police, citing a breach of procurement rules. The company claims Khan is prioritizing politics over public safety, while Khan argues that public funds should only support companies that align with the city's values. The decision has sparked a divide within the Labour party, with some MPs supporting Khan's stance against Palantir.
- ▪Sadiq Khan's office blocked Palantir's £50 million contract with the Metropolitan police due to a breach of procurement rules.
- ▪Palantir's UK head accused Khan of politicizing procurement and compromising public safety.
- ▪The decision has led to tensions within the Labour party, with some MPs supporting Khan's rejection of Palantir.
8 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 30 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 2 lean left, 5 centre.
- ▪ Palantir boss hits out at Khan in Met contract row — BBC News — Politics
- ▪ Sadiq Khan blocks Met Police’s controversial £50 million deal with Palantir — The Independent
- ▪ London Met Police Palantir Contract Blocked by City Hall — BBC News
- ▪ London Mayor Sadiq Khan blocks the Met police's £50M Palantir deal to automate intelligence analysis, citing a "clear and serious breach" of procurement rules (Robert Booth/The Guardian) — Techmeme
- ▪ London mayor blocks the Met’s £50mn Palantir deal — Financial Times — Companies
- ▪ London mayor Sadiq Khan blocks £50m Met police deal with Palantir | Metropolitan police — r/UpliftingNews
- ▪ London mayor Sadiq Khan blocks £50m Met police deal with Palantir — World news | The Guardian
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/may/22/palantir-hits-back-sadiq-khan-contract-met-police-blocked |
| Publication time | Fri, 22 May 2026 13:45:37 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-22T14:07:02.370Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-22T14:07:02.370Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Sadiq Khan’s office blocked Palantir’s deal with the Met police, saying there had been a ‘clear and serious breach’ of procurement rules. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PAView image in fullscreenSadiq Khan’s office blocked Palantir’s deal with the Met police, saying there had been a ‘clear and serious breach’ of procurement rules. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PAPalantirPalantir hits back at Sadiq Khan after £50m contract with Met police blockedLondon mayor accused of ‘putting politics above public safety’ for rejecting deal to use AI in intelligence analysis UK politics live – latest updates Robert Booth UK technology editorFri 22 May 2026 09.45 EDTLast modified on Fri 22 May 2026 09.55 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GooglePalantir has accused Sadiq Khan of “putting politics above public…
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