politics
Palantir Sues After Mayor's Office Rejects Police Contract Over Procurement Breach
Palantir filed a legal claim against the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime after MOPAC blocked a £50 million deal with the Metropolitan Police. The company seeks a court order awarding the contract, while MOPAC maintains the Met breached procurement rules on value for money. A preliminary hearing is set for Thursday at the High Court.
Jul 9, 5:12 AM·1m read1 source
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Palantir filed a lawsuit against the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime after the office rejected a proposed £50 million contract with the Metropolitan Police. The company, which approached the Met in April and understood it had been selected by May, seeks a High Court order that the contract be awarded. Palantir's lawyers described the refusal as an unlawful veto.
Court documents state that MOPAC's assessment of the company's values and ethics played an unlawful role in the decision. The Met had proposed a £25.3 million deal for 2026-27 with an optional one-year extension worth £24.8 million to support criminal investigations.
MOPAC said it declined to approve the deal because the Met Police failed to present its procurement strategy, constituting a clear and serious breach of procedure.
Palantir was the only bidder seriously considered. MOPAC has not yet filed a defence but stated it will oppose the action. Palantir UK chief executive Louis Mosley accused London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan of putting politics over public safety.
Deputy mayor for policing Kaya Comer-Schwartz told the London Assembly's Police and Crime Committee in June that she rejected the deal over value-for-money concerns. Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned in June of potential cuts to front-line police services and officer numbers.
He said any new procurement process that meets MOPAC's expectations is likely to take at least a number of months.
The Met wanted to use Palantir's technology to speed up tasks such as searching through reports and phone data. Palantir's technology is already used by the NHS and the Ministry of Defence. A preliminary hearing on the case is due at the High Court on Thursday.
