Tom Watson, a Labour peer and former deputy leader of the party, has joined US data and artificial intelligence company Palantir in a full-time capacity, the company said. Watson will work alongside Palantir’s UK and Europe chief executive, Louis Mosley, as the firm seeks to expand and defend its operations in Britain.
Background
Palantir, which provides data analysis and AI tools to governments and private-sector clients, already records substantial business in the UK, with an annual turnover reported at £427 million. The company has said it is aiming to win additional public sector contracts in the country and has been consolidating senior hires to support those efforts.
Controversies and UK contracts
The appointment comes as Palantir navigates mounting political and legal scrutiny. The firm is defending a £330 million contract with the NHS that has drawn criticism and calls for review within the devolved administration led by Andy Burnham. Separately, Palantir is contesting a decision by London mayor Sadiq Khan to block a proposed £50 million contract for the Metropolitan Police to use the company’s AI systems; that dispute is playing out in the courts.
Political context
Watson’s move adds to a pattern of former government ministers and officials taking roles with technology companies that supply public bodies, a development that has reignited debate in the UK about the relationship between the state and private tech contractors. Palantir’s hiring of a high-profile Labour peer comes at a sensitive moment as the company attempts to reassure policymakers and secure further public sector business.
Watchers say the hire will be scrutinised for its political implications as well as its commercial intent, given the high-profile nature of the contracts at issue and the ongoing legal challenge in London. Palantir and Watson have not commented beyond the announcement of the appointment.