The UK chief executive of US tech firm Palantir has accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of putting "politics over public safety" after City Hall blocked a £50 million contract between the Metropolitan Police and the company.
The Metropolitan Police had been in negotiations to use Palantir's artificial intelligence software to accelerate criminal investigations. However, the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) refused to approve the deal, citing concerns over value for money and a failure by the Met to follow proper procurement procedures.
Louis Mosley, Palantir's UK boss, told Times Radio that blocking the deal "will give hostile states and criminals an advantage" and prevent the Met from putting more officers on the front line. "I think the mayor is putting politics over public safety," Mosley said. "He talks about values, but I think what Londoners value is not being mugged, not being raped by a serving police officer."
The Met had argued that the new technology is essential to maintain effectiveness amid staffing cuts, and previously warned that officer numbers would have to be reduced if the deal fell through.
City Hall also indicated that Khan intends to discuss with the government whether a company's ethics should be considered during procurement. Palantir was co-founded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, a notable donor to US President Donald Trump, and already holds contracts with other UK public sector bodies.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle, speaking on the same programme, said Khan needed to "set out the reasons" for his decision. Kyle added, "We need to have more British AI companies that can do those kinds of things, which is why I've taken equity stakes in British AI firms and British tech firms, so that we can scale them up much, much faster."
MOPAC stated that Palantir was the only supplier seriously considered by the Met for the contract, and that the force had failed to present its procurement strategy for approval—a "clear and serious breach" of procedure. The mayor's office has been approached for comment.