Former Labour deputy leader slammed for joining ‘world’s most dangerous tech company’

Martin Shipton

A senior Labour figure has been criticised for taking a top job with the highly controversial US data company Palantir.

Lord Tom Watson, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, last week unexpectedly resigned as a director of a renewable energy group with major interests in Wales.

When he stepped down from the board of Windward Energy, the parent company of Bute Energy and Green GEN Cymru, a statement issued by Windward said: “Tom has expressed his interest in reprioritising his efforts to focus on the country’s fight for better health and against cancer, particularly prostate cancer, which affects one in eight men.”

But in a new statement issued days later, Lord Watson said: “After six wonderful years at UK Music, I’m joining Palantir UK as Senior Vice President.

“Palantir is the most interesting company on the planet, doing work of real consequence: helping Britain and its allies defend themselves, helping police protect our citizens and helping NHS staff get patients treated and home sooner.

“London is comfortably its largest centre outside the US, home to more than one in six employees, the highest proportion among the world’s largest technology companies.

“We have challenges. Some criticism is propaganda. Some raise legitimate questions about large technology companies and sovereign control. Both require answers.

“Part of my role will be to correct false information while working with our engineers to ensure privacy, security and respect for sovereignty are at the heart of everything we do.”

Lord Watson is currently on leave of absence from the House of Lords and has relinquished his parliamentary pass while working for Palantir.

In the US and the UK, Palantir has many enemies.

The American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group that promotes world peace, is among Palantir’s most outspoken critics. It describes the business as a “weapons company disguised as a software start-up” and has criticised its work with US immigration authorities and the Israeli military.

The organisation says Palantir’s technology can bring together large amounts of information held by governments and corporations, allowing agencies to identify patterns and individuals across different datasets.

It has been particularly critical of Palantir’s work with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), claiming its technology has helped the agency centralise information including addresses, phone numbers, driving records, immigration history and social media activity.

The group has also attacked Palantir’s relationship with Israel. Palantir chief executive Alex Karp has said: “I am proud that we are supporting Israel in every way we can.”

Palantir also works extensively with the US military. Karp has said the company’s weapons software is used in “every combat situation I’m aware of”.

In the UK, the NHS, the Ministry of Defence and several police forces have contracts with Palantir, worth a total of £600m.

Sadiq Khan

Earlier this year, London Mayor Sadiq Khan blocked a £50m deal between Palantir and the Metropolitan Police, having previously stated that Londoners wanted public money going to companies that “share the values of our city”.

There is widespread opposition to the company’s growing reach in the British state. Earlier this year, almost a quarter of a million people called on ministers to break contracts with Palantir via two petitions.

“Our NHS and other public services shouldn’t be cutting deals with a private company that helps armies kill people,” one read.

Palantir says that its software is only used to process data in line with customer instructions and doing otherwise would be illegal.

Many Palantir critics are particularly concerned about the company’s access to sensitive information. The Financial Times reported that NHS England has given Palantir and other contractors access to patient data before it had been anonymised as part of a £330m NHS contract.

Some fear that this commercial relationship opens the door to data-sharing that a future Reform UK administration might use in an immigration clampdown. A briefing by the health justice charity Medact said the “highly interoperable nature” of Palantir’s software could enable “data-driven abuses of state power”, including ICE-style raids.

Palantir said it had no intention of using data in this way and would be in breach of contract if it did so.

‘Shameless’

Responding to Lord Watson’s statement that he was joining Palantir, the left-wing journalist Owen Jones posted a message that said: “You are utterly shameless. Quite literally beyond shame.”

Green Party leader Zack Polanski posted a message saying: “Palantir have just bought themselves a Labour Lord with close links to the Labour government. No other word to describe this other than corruption.”

Former Swansea West Labour MP Geraint Davies said: “He will be lobbying Andy Burnham about the success of Palantir in Gaza and with Trump’s ICE, building on Mandelson’s success in introducing Starmer to them.

“Perhaps Palantir’s rejection of democracy and employment of [British Union of Fascists’ leader Oswald] Mosley’s grandson [Louis Mosley, CEO of Palantir UK] may suit Tom Watson more than working with [Jeremy] Corbyn [with whom he had a fractious relationship when they were leader and deputy leader of the Labour Party].”

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