Met Police Palantir contract blocked by City Hall

The Metropolitan Police was prevented from signing a contract worth up to £50m with Palantir after London’s deputy mayor refused approval. The proposed deal would have provided £25.3m for 2026-27 with an optional one-year extension worth £24.8m, aimed at supporting criminal investigations and reforms to improve culture and standards. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime said it was not satisfied that the Met had demonstrated value for money and raised concerns about the company’s values and ethics. Palantir has faced criticism for work involving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Israeli military. The deputy mayor said the Met failed to obtain required approval for its procurement strategy and only seriously engaged one supplier, without adequately testing the market.

"The 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 24.8m."

"But the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) said it was not satisfied that the Met had adequately ensured or demonstrated value for money. It also cited concerns around the company's values and ethics. 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 that "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.""

"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"

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