A former government legal officer has urged Palantir to pursue judicial review after London Mayor Sadiq Khan blocked a £50 million contract between the tech firm and the Metropolitan Police.
Sir Michael Ellis KC, who served as attorney general under Liz Truss, described Khan’s decision as an extraordinary intervention that may be open to legal challenge in court.
Ellis told the Times that the mayor’s decision “appears to be based, at least in part, on Khan’s political sensibilities, namely how he views the values and ethics of this American company.”
“If I were Palantir, I would be seeking legal advice as to whether Khan’s actions could be overturned by the courts,” Ellis said, underlining his view that the veto may not withstand scrutiny.
Khan vetoed the deal last week, citing concerns that the Met had failed to approach any other firms during its procurement process, approaching Palantir exclusively for the AI policing technology.
Khan’s office also referenced the ethics of companies the city procures from, with a spokesperson stating that Londoners want their money spent on businesses reflecting the city’s values.
Palantir, founded by American tech billionaire Peter Thiel, already holds contracts with several UK public sector bodies, including the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, and regional police forces in Bedfordshire and Leicestershire.
Ellis argued that the organisations already working with Palantir “have far superior technology than others in the security space,” suggesting London stands to lose a significant operational advantage.
The company has also provided services to organisations including the Israel Defence Forces and supported immigration enforcement operations in the United States, facts that have drawn scrutiny from critics of the contract.
Palantir’s UK chief executive, Louis Mosley, publicly criticised Khan on Times Radio on 22 May, accusing the mayor of “putting politics over public safety” by refusing to approve the agreement.
“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,” Mosley said.
Mosley went further, saying: “He talks about values, but I think what Londoners value is not being mugged, not being raped by a serving police officer.”
Business Secretary Peter Kyle, speaking on the same programme, said Khan needs to “set out the reasons” for deciding to block the deal with the American technology company.
The Met had been looking to use Palantir’s AI capabilities to transform how crimes are investigated across the capital, with the contract seen as a significant upgrade to Scotland Yard’s technological infrastructure.